Nayib Bukele Launches Military Operation to Rescue Salvadorans in Haiti

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador launched a military operation on Wednesday to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians kidnapped by gangs in Haiti. The technicians, who are non-combatants focused on medical evacuations for the Gang Suppression Force, were abducted Sunday after an explosives ambush in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets. The soldiers were returning to their base from a supermarket when their armored vehicle was attacked and set on fire.

Bukele demanded the hostages be returned alive and unharmed, warning gang leaders that the current military response is nothing compared to what will follow if the men are not released. He stated that El Salvador had already finished with gangs in its own country and could do the same in Haiti. Recent rescue efforts have resulted in the deaths of several gang members and injuries to four GSF soldiers.

The Government of Haiti and Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé have declared the release of the technicians an absolute priority. This incident is the first major attack since the deployment of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, a multinational body of approximately 2,000 soldiers. Hostile incidents involving the force have risen sharply, increasing from two to 15 within a single month.