Dual Israeli-Romanian Citizen Extradited to Mexico Over Lev Tahor Trafficking Allegations

Mexico City — Guatemalan authorities have extradited a man identified as a leader of the ultra-Orthodox group Lev Tahor — a dual citizen of Israel and Romania — to Mexico, where he faces charges tied to organized crime and human trafficking, including allegations of forced marriages involving minors, prosecutors said.

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Mexican officials said Yoel Alter was transferred to Mexican custody and brought before a federal judge in the southern state of Chiapas. A judge ordered him held in mandatory pretrial detention while his legal status is reviewed.

According to Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, Alter is accused of participating in an organized criminal group that removed children from their communities and arranged forced marriages between minors and adult members of the sect. Authorities said the investigation identified Chiapas as a key area of the group’s operations.

Lev Tahor, founded in Jerusalem in 1988, has faced repeated allegations in several countries involving child abuse, kidnappings, forced marriages and neglect. Officials say the group has frequently relocated across borders — including Israel, the United States, Guatemala and Mexico — to evade law enforcement scrutiny.

Mexican prosecutors said investigations across multiple countries have led to arrests of senior figures and the rescue of minors from sect-controlled locations. In Mexico, authorities have previously removed children from Lev Tahor compounds as part of ongoing criminal probes.

Alter’s defense requested additional time before a formal ruling on the charges. A court hearing is expected in the coming days.

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