El President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced on Wednesday that four Salvadoran members of an international UN-backed security force were being held hostage by Haitian gangs. He initiated a military operation to safely retrieve them. The El Salvador military and the UN Gang Suppression Force, tasked with assisting Haitian police in combating gangs, had encountered difficulties due to intense fighting in the area while trying to locate the missing Salvadorans earlier in the week.
Bukele confirmed the launch of the military operation through a post on X, but did not disclose specific details about the operation or the identity of the group holding the Salvadorans captive. The Gang Suppression Force did not immediately comment on the situation.
The four Salvadorans went missing after escaping from a burning armored vehicle that was ambushed by armed gangs on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince while returning to their base from a market, as reported by security officials. Haitian gangs have strengthened their control over the capital and neighboring regions in recent years due to political instability, widespread extortion, and the influx of illegal arms, mainly from the U.S.
Various countries, such as Chad and Sri Lanka, have deployed troops as part of the Gang Suppression Force. Despite being operational for a year and reaching only a fraction of its intended size, the force has not made significant improvements to Haiti’s security situation.
Bukele clarified that the missing individuals were aviation technicians and not combatants. He emphasized that their role was primarily focused on conducting medical evacuations and saving lives, rather than engaging in combat operations.
