Approximately twenty members of a Jewish sect detained in Mexico during a police raid on their jungle camp have escaped.
Men, women, and children were captured on camera leaving the location in Huixtla, in the west, on Wednesday night.
Since the raid last Friday, when two members were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and major sexual offenses, they had been there.
Lev Tahor is renowned for its radical activities and for imposing severe discipline on its adherents.
It promotes child marriage, imposes harsh punishments for even small infractions, and mandates that women and girls as young as three years old wear full robes.
Local media said that since their arrival, members of the group had engaged in protests over their arrest, including rioting and attacking employees.
The captives, clothed in gold, grey, and white robes, can be seen on video from the Reuters news agency making their way past two guards at a gate while one of their members holds it open.
One of the soldiers attempting to hold them back collapses to the ground, and the party escapes by climbing over him. A young person is seen turning and kicking a guard who is down on the ground.
It is unknown where the gang went. The Associated Press reported that they were picked up by a truck and transported to the Guatemalan border, but El Heraldo de México reported that they walked several kilometers before vanishing into the night.
An elite police unit raided their compound 11 miles (17.5km) north of Tapachula in Chiapas state following a months-long investigation and surveillance operation involving Mexican and Guatemalan authorities as well as a private four-man team from Israel comprised of former Mossad and domestic intelligence agents.
The Israeli foreign ministry reported that twenty-six members were discovered at the facility, including Israelis with dual citizenship from Canada, the United States, and Guatemala.
It was alleged that a Canadian and an Israeli national were captured, while two additional wanted individuals apparently fled the facility two days before the search and are currently being sought. Five additional people were apprehended for allegedly violating immigration laws.
Yisrael Amir, a former member of the group, appealed to a former member of Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet. This led to the operation.
Mr. Amir abandoned the group’s Guatemalan base in 2020, leaving his one-year-old son behind.
His youngster was freed in last week’s raid and returned to Israel with his father.
Since 2014, the group had resided in Guatemala, but in January, members illegally entered Mexico and settled in the jungle.
Since 2018, the Guatemalan government has been at the center of an abduction case. Nine members of the cult have been charged, and four have been convicted thus far.
According to an ex-members group, Lev Tahor, whose name translates to “Pure of Heart” in Hebrew, was created in Israel in 1988 and has up to 350 members.
In recent years, it has been compelled to relocate from nation to country due to the monitoring of local authorities. Currently, it has expanded to Israel, the United States, North Macedonia, Morocco, Mexico, and Guatemala. Seventy to eighty members remain in Guatemala.
An Israeli court has labeled the group a “dangerous cult” even though it adheres to its laws and is frequently regarded as ultra-Orthodox.
Its leaders have denied breaching local laws and have claimed that the group is being persecuted due to its beliefs.
