A week and a half after Guatemalan authorities rescued 204 children, teenagers and women from the compound of the extremist ultra-Orthodox sect Lev Tahor ("Pure Heart"), security at the border with Mexico has been tightened amid concerns that sect leaders may attempt to flee with children into the neighboring country. The rescued individuals are currently being housed in welfare facilities in Guatemala City.
A statement sent by the Guatemalan government to Mexico said: "Following the rescue of the minors, it is highly likely that this community will attempt to flee to Mexico, particularly to Chiapas, where this sect previously stayed in 1994. Both nations must remain on high alert and work together to prevent those responsible from escaping."
Lev Tahor members after children were rescued
The statement also warned that, in an effort to "protect their leaders, sect members may try to cross the border into Mexico illegally and blend in with the thousands of undocumented migrants who attempt to reach the United States every day."
A source in Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, within the Department for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated: "We are on high alert and closely cooperating with Guatemala. Over the past few days, we’ve held several meetings to coordinate border monitoring."
Lev Tahor assaulting Jews who came to their aid
As part of this joint effort against Lev Tahor, both countries agreed to enhance border inspections. Special police forces in Guatemala and Mexico’s National Guard are reinforcing security along the border. Authorities are taking the threat seriously, as the sect’s leaders have a long history of fleeing justice, making it unsurprising if they were to attempt to seek refuge in Mexico.
The children, teenagers and women, who reportedly endured severe abuse, were rescued from the sect’s compound in Santa Rosa on December 20. Santa Rosa is a small town located about 60 miles south of Guatemala City. The rescue operation was part of a broader effort to combat human trafficking.
Since its establishment in 1988 in Israel, the Lev Tahor sect has been implicated in forced marriages, human trafficking, and child abuse across several countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and, more recently, in North Macedonia and Albania since 2022. The sect is also reportedly active in Kurdistan.
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In September 2022, Chiapas police, with the support of former Mossad agents, raided the sect’s camp in Tapachula following allegations of child abuse and human trafficking. Several sect leaders were arrested and are now serving lengthy prison sentences in the United States.
Lev Tahor adheres to strict dietary rules, requiring all food to meet biblical standards. Members only drink milk they can extract themselves from cows they milk, and they produce their own wine. Children are prohibited from eating sweets and are instead limited to homemade chocolate or natural options like fruit, nuts, and seeds.