El Salvador Seeks Hostages Amid Haiti Gang Violence

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele says his country has launched a military operation to rescue four air force personnel who went missing in Haiti after an ambush on Sunday. The men were serving with the UN-approved Gang Suppression Force (GSF), which is tasked with tackling escalating gang violence. Bukele described them as non-combatants whose work involved medical evacuations and saving lives, and said the operation’s sole objective was to bring them home alive. He warned that an attack carried out on Wednesday was “nothing” compared with what could follow if the men were not returned alive, while also saying that if they were released unharmed, matters would return to how they were before the kidnapping. El Salvador’s armed forces said the personnel were ambushed by heavily armed criminal groups in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area controlled by armed groups. They were reportedly returning to their camp in an armoured vehicle after buying food when explosives struck the vehicle and it caught fire. No gang has claimed responsibility. Salvadoran helicopters were deployed, but attempts to reach the area by land and air were hindered by fighting and local security conditions. The GSF said it was searching for the missing personnel and had engaged armed gang members with helicopter support; early reports indicated several gang members were killed. The incident comes amid worsening insecurity in Haiti. The UN has warned that gangs are adapting to intensified security measures, retaliating against civilians and expanding into rural areas. Haiti has not held elections since 2016, and elections scheduled for 13 December were postponed indefinitely. The country has faced economic turmoil, a political vacuum and increasingly violent gang warfare since its president was assassinated in 2021. More than 5,500 people were killed in gang-related violence in 2024, and armed gangs control about 85% of Port-au-Prince.

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele says his country has launched a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians kidnapped in Haiti. The men disappeared on Sunday after gangs attacked an armoured vehicle in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince. They escaped from the burning vehicle but have not been seen since. The incident is described as the first major attack on the international gang suppression force since it began operating in Haiti. Bukele warned Haitian gang leaders that the attack would be followed by a much stronger response if the four technicians were not returned alive and unharmed. He said El Salvador would take no further action if they were safely released, but did not clarify which forces might be involved in any escalation. He also emphasized that El Salvador’s contingent is assigned to medical evacuations and consists of pilots and technical personnel, not combat forces. Haiti’s government called the rescue an “absolute priority,” saying officials had met to review operations and coordinate with the Gang Repression Force. It said all necessary resources were being mobilized, although authorities had not confirmed whether the hostages were alive. The force’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. The kidnapping highlights the security challenges in Haiti, where gangs are estimated to control about 70 percent of Port-au-Prince, as the country prepares for its first general election in more than a decade. El Salvador is among several countries contributing to the multinational force, alongside Chad, Jamaica and Guatemala. The force has more than 2,000 troops in Haiti. The UN authorized a mission of up to 5,550 security personnel and over 50 civilian staff in 2025, and the Security Council extended it for at least six months, through March 2027. El Salvador also passed a law in early October extending its participation by a year and broadening its mandate beyond medical evacuations to allow personnel to be deployed according to the mission’s needs.

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said Wednesday that he had launched a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians kidnapped by gangs in Haiti. The men had been part of a Salvadoran mission whose stated work was medical evacuations, not combat. They went missing after fleeing an armored vehicle that was set on fire during an attack in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince. The attack occurred three days earlier and was described as the first major assault since an international gang-suppression force began operating in Haiti. Bukele demanded the technicians be returned “alive, unharmed,” warning that a more forceful operation would follow if they were not. It was unclear whether he meant additional action by Salvadoran, Haitian, or international forces. Haiti’s government called the abductees’ release an “absolute priority” and said it was coordinating measures with the Gang Repression Force, but it was not known whether authorities had confirmation the men were alive. The U.N.-backed force continued operations in the area and urged residents to stay indoors. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident highlights the strength of gangs that control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and comes as Haiti prepares for its first general election in more than a decade. El Salvador is among several countries contributing to the multinational force, which has more than 2,000 troops in Haiti. The U.N. authorized a larger deployment, and the Security Council extended the force’s mandate through March 2027. El Salvador recently extended its military participation for a year and authorized personnel deployments beyond medical evacuations. U.N. figures indicate that gang violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people in Haiti in recent years, while thousands have been killed or injured and hundreds kidnapped. Gang groups operating in the area include Chèn Méchan, Kraze Barye, and 400 Mawozo.

El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele says his government has launched a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians abducted in Haiti. The men disappeared after fleeing an armored vehicle that gangs attacked in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince. Bukele demanded that they be returned alive and unharmed, warning that El Salvador would mount a more forceful operation if they were not. It remains unclear whether he meant further action by Salvadoran troops or by the wider international security force operating in Haiti, and there has been no confirmation that the hostages are alive. Haiti’s government called the abducted soldiers’ release an “absolute priority” and said officials met to assess operations and coordinate with the Gang Suppression Force. The U.N.-backed force is continuing operations in the area and has advised residents to remain indoors. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first major assault since the international force began its work. The incident highlights the reach of gangs, which control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince, as Haiti prepares for its first general election in more than a decade. El Salvador is one of several countries contributing to the force, which has more than 2,000 troops in Haiti. El Salvador initially sent 5,550 security personnel and over 50 civilian staff in 2025. A law passed in early October extended its participation for a year and authorized military and civilian deployments according to the mission’s needs, beyond the medical evacuation role previously specified. The U.N. Security Council extended the multinational force’s mandate by at least six months, through March 2027. The article cites U.N. figures showing nearly 1.5 million people displaced by gang violence in recent years, more than 5,700 killed or injured from January to mid-September, and over 230 kidnapped. Gangs active in the area include Chèn Méchan, Kraze Barye, and 400 Mawozo; their leaders have been sanctioned by the U.N. and the United States.