Authorities in El Salvador have extradited two Lev Tahor members, one to Israel and another to Guatemala, amid ongoing investigations into allegations of child abuse and human trafficking.

Prosecutors confirmed that Eliezer Rumpler was handed over to Israeli authorities following his January arrest after crossing into the country from Guatemala. Rumpler, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, is accused of overseeing the abuse of students. According to prosecutors, the students were allegedly forced to disrobe before being subjected to beatings.

Separately, 23-year-old Jonathan Cardona was extradited to Guatemala to face a slate of serious charges, including child abuse and human trafficking, Guatemalan officials announced. Cardona’s case is linked to a months-long investigation into Lev Tahor’s activities in the Central American country.

In December 2024, Guatemalan authorities conducted a major raid on a Lev Tahor compound in the rural town of Oratorio, southwest of Guatemala City, where they rescued 160 minors and 40 women from dangerous living conditions. Prosecutors alleged widespread mistreatment of children, prompting international concern and condemnation.

Founded in the 1980s, and originally based in Israel, the cult has been forced to relocate multiple times in recent decades, encountering legal challenges and child welfare investigations in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. In 2013, a contingent of Lev Tahor followers resettled in Guatemala, where they have remained under periodic government scrutiny ever since.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)