El Salvador President Threatens Haitian Gangs Over Hostages

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele announced Wednesday that his country has launched a military operation to rescue four air force personnel who went missing in Haiti on Sunday. Bukele stated on the social media platform X that the current military action was minor compared to what would follow if the hostages, described as non-combatants, were not returned alive.

The four individuals, part of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) approved by the UN Security Council to combat escalating gang violence in Haiti, were ambushed by heavily armed criminal groups in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area controlled by armed groups. According to Bukele, the mission's personnel were tasked with medical evacuations and saving lives, not engaging in combat.

The president emphasized that the Salvadoran military operation's sole objective is the safe return of the four men. He added that if they are returned unharmed, the situation would revert to its pre-kidnapping state. Bukele characterized the kidnapping as cowardly, stating it occurred while the personnel were returning from a market.

The Salvadoran armed forces reported that the group was ambushed while traveling back to their camp in an armored vehicle, which subsequently caught fire after being struck by explosives. No gang has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Salvadoran helicopters were deployed to aid in rescue efforts, but attempts to approach by land and air were hampered by ongoing fighting and the local security situation, according to the armed forces. Prior to Bukele's announcement of the military operation, the GSF confirmed it was searching for the missing personnel and had engaged armed gang elements with helicopter support, with early reports indicating several gang members were killed.

The United Nations had previously warned that Haiti's armed gangs were adapting to increased security measures, intensifying reprisals against civilians and expanding their presence into rural areas. Haiti has not held elections since 2016, and presidential and legislative elections originally scheduled for December 13 were indefinitely postponed. The country has been experiencing severe economic chaos, a political vacuum, and escalating gang violence since the assassination of its president in 2021. In 2024, over 5,500 people have been killed in gang-related violence, and armed gangs are estimated to control approximately 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.