Colombian operation rescues 17 minors tied to extremist Lev Tahor sect

Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Colombian authorities said 17 minors linked to the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor were rescued during an inspection at a hotel in the country's northwest.

The minors, citizens of Guatemala, the United States and Canada, were found during a joint operation involving Migración Colombia, the military and intelligence units. All were placed in the custody of the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare.

Five of the minors had Interpol yellow notices related to disappearances or suspected kidnappings. The alerts were issued after they entered Colombia, preventing authorities from detecting the situation earlier.

Migración Colombia detained nine adults who were traveling with the minors. Although they do not face arrest warrants in Colombia, the agency is reviewing administrative proceedings that could lead to their expulsion.

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The operation was launched after authorities received an anonymous message reporting the sect's presence in the municipality of Yarumal.

Lev Tahor, whose name means "pure heart" in Hebrew, was founded in Jerusalem in 1988 by Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans. The community follows an extremely strict interpretation of Jewish law, including rigid dress rules, early-age marriages, strict kosher observance and severe limits on technology use.

For more than three decades, the sect has moved between Israel, the United States, Canada, Guatemala and Mexico. Gloria Esperanza Arriero, director of Migración Colombia, said authorities reviewed the group members' backgrounds and confirmed that several of the adults have open investigations in those countries.

In each country the group has faced investigations related to child neglect, sexual abuse, kidnapping and human trafficking. Earlier this year, authorities in Guatemala rescued about 160 children from a group compound in the municipality of Oratorio and arrested several leaders accused of forced pregnancy, rape and child marriage.

Helbrans died in 2017 in a river in Chiapas, Mexico, during a religious ritual. After his death, leadership passed to his son, Nachman Helbrans, who was later arrested and convicted in the United States on kidnapping and child-exploitation charges.

In Colombia, initial checks confirmed that the group was seeking to rent a rural property in the Antioquia region to settle permanently, following the same pattern seen in countries where it previously faced investigations for alleged child abuse, forced marriages and human trafficking.

Authorities said that although the minors were traveling with their parents, there were international records of custody loss, sexual exploitation and child abuse linked to members of the group.

For that reason, the children were taken to a state facility in Medellín along with their mothers while authorities work to restore their rights.

Marcos Peckel, executive director of Colombia's Jewish community, said the authorities' intervention prevents the group from establishing itself in the country and noted that the sect's practices do not represent Judaism or its traditions.

The investigation continues in coordination with international agencies to determine the legal and immigration status of the adults involved.