Belize City, Feb 25 - Belize announced on Tuesday that it would be deporting three men, including a leader of the Jewish sect Lev Tahor, back to Guatemala following their arrest at the shared border of the two Central American countries.
One of the individuals detained at the Belize-Guatemala border on Monday was Avraham Dinkel, a Canadian citizen who has served as a spokesperson for Lev Tahor, as reported by Belizean authorities.
Established in 1988, Lev Tahor, which translates to "Pure Heart" in Hebrew, has been accused of various offenses, including kidnapping, child marriage, and physical abuse. The group has a history of relocating frequently, often evading child welfare agencies.
Tanya Santos, Belize's director of immigration, informed Reuters that Dinkel and Chaim Malka, identified by Belizean media as a Lev Tahor member, had assisted another member, Moshe Yhida Alter, in an attempt to enter the country using a forged document. All three individuals have been convicted and fined.
The Belizean police also shared a photo of Alter's falsified identification. Attempts to contact the detained men or their legal representatives were unsuccessful, but Lev Tahor has consistently denied accusations of abuse.
The organization posted, "Our only crime is being Jewish," on X this month.
In December, Guatemalan authorities intervened with Lev Tahor in southeastern Guatemala following reports of child abuse, including rape.
Belizean officials are working with their Guatemalan counterparts to repatriate the individuals, according to police commissioner Chester Williams.
Malka and Alter hold U.S. citizenship. Their legal status in Guatemala remains unclear, and the Guatemalan interior ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Lev Tahor has faced scrutiny in numerous Latin American countries recently, with a significant event occurring during a raid in southern Mexico in 2022.
On Sunday, El Salvador received an extradition request from the Israeli government for another Lev Tahor member charged with abusing two minors.