Colombia on Monday expelled nine members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor, days after authorities said they had rescued 17 minors allegedly subjected to abuse by the group.
The sect members, dressed in the community’s characteristic full-length black tunics, were escorted through Medellín’s international airport and placed on a New York-bound flight, where they were to be received by US authorities, Colombia’s migration agency said.
Some of the rescued minors, who came from countries including the United States and Guatemala, were also transferred on the same flight to be placed under US child protective care, officials added.
Sect under investigation for years
Lev Tahor, whose name means pure heart, has been under investigation for years across several countries — including Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and now Colombia — over allegations ranging from forced pregnancies to child mistreatment and rape.
The group, formed in the 1980s, is believed to consist of around 50 families from North America and Central America. Interpol has issued red notices for several of its leaders.
In December 2024, Guatemalan authorities rescued 160 minors from a Lev Tahor-occupied farm after prosecutors alleged widespread sexual and physical abuse.
