ALBAWABA- Colombia has expelled nine adults and transferred 17 children from the extremist Jewish sect Lev Tahor to the United States, after authorities said a raid uncovered serious risks to the minors’ safety.
The 26 members were flown from Medellín to New York on Monday, where U.S. officials took custody for further investigation. The operation began on November 22 when migration officers raided a hotel in Yarumal, Antioquia, following a local tip.
Agents found the group dressed in the sect’s trademark black tunics and immediately placed the children, aged 3 to 17 and originating from the U.S., Guatemala, and Israel, under state protection. Medical exams and interviews later indicated signs of mistreatment, including malnutrition and unsafe living conditions, leading authorities to separate the minors from the adults.
Colombia’s migration chief, Gloria Esperanza Ariza, said investigators identified multiple child-rights risks, including forced marriages and physical abuse. Five children were flagged in Interpol missing-persons alerts tied to prior custody disputes. The adults now face U.S. inquiries into possible child-exploitation offenses.
Trump praises Syrian transition, warns Israel against actions that could destabilize borderAt the same time, New York Child Protective Services has taken charge of the minors, who will undergo evaluation and, where possible, be reunited with family members outside the sect.
The case adds to a string of international crackdowns on Lev Tahor, a sect long accused of trafficking, coercion, and abuse. Guatemala rescued 160 minors from a Lev Tahor compound in December 2024; Mexico arrested senior leaders in 2022; and U.S. courts in 2021 convicted top figures of kidnapping and sexually exploiting girls as young as 13.
Lev Tahor, founded in Israel in 1988 by Shlomo Helbrans, denies all allegations and claims persecution for its strict religious practices. The sect enforces extreme isolation, lengthy daily prayers, full-body coverings for women and girls as young as three, and arranged marriages frequently involving underage girls and much older men.
