Crimeupdated 1h ago3 min read
Nayib Bukele Sends 100 Special Forces To Haiti To Rescue Four Abducted Soldiers
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100 Salvadoran special forces deployed to Haiti to rescue four soldiers kidnapped by gangs. Bukele announced a military operation and warned of a tougher response if captives aren’t released.
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Special forces to Haiti
El Salvador deployed 100 special forces soldiers to Haiti on Thursday to help rescue four missing soldiers after gangs attacked them, two officials told The Associated Press. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced a military operation to rescue the four aviation technicians and threatened a more forceful response if they were not released alive and unharmed. Haiti’s government said Wednesday evening that the four missing soldiers were abducted, after an attack that occurred Sunday in Croix-des-Bouquets.
The attack took place in territory controlled by the Chèn Méchan gang, with the 400 Mawozo gang operating just west of that area, and no one had claimed responsibility. Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said, “It will be almost impossible to find them … unless the gangs agree to hand them over,” as authorities warned residents to remain indoors.
Bukele’s ultimatum
Nayib Bukele warned Haitian gang leaders that a more forceful response was coming if the personnel were not released alive and well, and he wrote on X, “We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too.” The Gang Suppression Force said a contingent from El Salvador arrived to support ongoing search and security operations where the attack occurred, and it described the effort as part of the mission’s response. Haiti’s government issued a news release saying the release of the abducted soldiers was an “absolute priority,” and it said a meeting was held at the prime minister’s office to assess interventions and determine measures to strengthen operations.
CNN reported that the GSF’s operation had resulted in armed clashes that left at least seven gang members dead and four GSF personnel wounded, as Salvadoran troops arrived to support the effort. Lanmo Sanjou replied to Bukele on Thursday by filming himself with large quantities of ammunition and warning that his group “would fight to stay alive.”
Search, clashes, and leverage
The Gang Suppression Force said it continued operations in Plaine du Cul-de-Sac in close coordination with the Haitian National Police and relevant operational partners after a contingent from El Salvador arrived in Port-au-Prince on October 22. The GSF urged residents of Santo and surrounding communities to avoid the zones where operations were being carried out, while the four aerotechnicians missing since Sunday, October 18, were still being sought. El Salvador’s government official told AP that Salvadoran authorities were operating under the assumption that the four missing Salvadoreans were still alive, and the official said an additional 100 soldiers were going to be deployed to Haiti on Thursday night.
Diego Da Rin said the unaccounted for soldiers could serve as a negotiation tool for gangs, adding, “The silence surrounding the situation of the Salvadorans might actually help them increase the leverage they can use to compel the authorities to enter into negotiations.” Da Rin also said, “I do not believe this kidnapping is so much an attempt to gain money, but rather an effort to prevent incursions into their territories,” as the attack was described as the first major attack since the international gang suppression force began operations.