Guatemala

Guatemalan inmates riot at three prisons, taking 46 people hostage

Inmates, some wearing jumpsuits but most in tank tops and shorts, their faces covered by masks improvised with pieces of clothing, watched from above, perched in the prison's patrol towers.

An inmate looks out from a security tower at the Renovacion 1 prison, as inmates at three Guatemalan prisons rioted on Saturday and took mostly prison guards hostage, authorities said, in Escuintla, Guatemala, January 17, 2026.
Elazar Rumpler, a senior leader within haredi cult Lev Tahor, appearing in the Jerusalem District Court for a hearing in 2020; illustrative.

Jerusalem court sends senior Lev Tahor cult leader Elazar Rumpler to prison in child abuse case

Lev Tahor member Yoel Alter, 35, is escorted by Guatemalan police officers after being arrested at court in Guatemala City on January 24, 2025.

Leader of ultra-Orthodox Lev Tahor sect extradited to Mexico, charged with human trafficking

Police officers load the bodies of the victims who died in a road accident onto a truck at Cumbre de Alaska in Totonicapan, Guatemala, on December 27, 2025.

At least 15 dead, 19 injured in Guatemala bus accident


Young Israeli reported missing at Mexico-Guatemala border

Local search and rescue forces were deployed at the scene and extensive searches are being conducted.

Yellow police tape lies on the road as federal agents work at a crime scene in the town in Mexico

Extradition of senior Lev Tahor leaders to US from Guatemala approved

The cult has recently tried to move to Iran on several occasions to avoid its legal problems tied up in its child abuse and other criminal activities, but have been unsuccessful so far.

Members of Lev Tahor in Guatemala

Lapid, Guatemalan president launch Central American pro-Israel forum

Central American leaders called to unite against antisemitism at the launch of the Central America Forum for Israel on Thursday, featuring Yair Lapid and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammettei.

Yair Lapid at Presidential Meeting

Antisemitism: Central American countries hold Israel solidarity event

A Central American event is an opportunity to show support for Israel and to reject antisemitism.

Following a recent global wave of antisemitism, countries in Central America will host a virtual solidarity with Israel event, at which they will present a united front against antisemitism.

US, Guatemalan forces raid extremist haredi Lev Tahor cult compound

The sect has been accused of forcing girls as young as 12 years old into marriages with much older men within the sect.

Members of Lev Tahor in Guatemala

Feds charge extremist Orthodox sect Lev Tahor with exploiting, kidnapping

Five leaders of the Lev Tahor group were charged by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and FBI Monday with crimes related to an alleged forced marriage and kidnapping.

Eliezer Rumpler, from the Lev Tahor Haredi Jewish sect   arrives to the Jerusalem District Court for a court hearing on May 26, 2020.

Leader of extremist haredi Orthodox sect Lev Tahor arrested in Guatemala

Lev Tahor subscribes to an ultra-strict version of kosher laws. Marriages between teenagers and older members are common.

Members of Lev Tahor in Guatemala

Latin American supporters of Israel gather for virtual conference

"When you see 20 legislators from 7 Latin American countries meeting together, and talking about the future of Israel and Latin America relations, it speaks to the power of faith-based diplomacy."

Israel Allies Foundation Latin American Zoom conference

Int'l groups offer Mexico help to probe suspected migrant massacre

Mexican and Guatemalan authorities have so far collected DNA samples from relatives of the suspected victims to determine whether the 19 bodies are those of a group of missing migrants.

Guatemalan soldiers patrol to prevent a group of Honduran migrants who are trying to reach the U.S, from moving towards the Guatemala and Mexico border, as they sit outside the migrant shelter , in Tecun Uman, Guatemala October 3, 2020.

Lev Tahor cult member fled Israel to Guatemala despite stay of exit order

"The community has been declared an abusive cult by the court, in light of the fact that within the community it is customary to punish minors and adults in a severe and cruel way."

Members of Lev Tahor in Guatemala