El Salvador Deploys Hundreds of Troops to Rescue Kidnapped Soldiers

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador launched a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians who disappeared on October 18 after their armored vehicle was ambushed with explosives and fire in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. The technicians were members of the United Nations Gang Suppression Force (GSF), a multinational mission tasked with dismantling gangs that control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince.

Bukele issued stern ultimatums to Haitian gang leaders, including the Viv Ansanm coalition, warning that he would "finish off" the gangs if the hostages were not returned alive and unharmed. To support the rescue, El Salvador deployed a surge of special forces troops starting October 22. While initial reports cited 100 operators, later estimates ranged from 450 to 1,000 personnel arriving via charter flights with U.S. logistical support.

The situation grew complex on October 25 when reports emerged that four burned bodies recovered near Port-au-Prince were the missing soldiers. Bukele publicly refuted these claims, stating "They are not our men" and providing evidence that the remains included a child and a Chadian soldier. The GSF acknowledged receiving the remains but stated identities were not yet established.

The Government of Haiti has declared the recovery of the technicians an absolute priority. As of October 27, the four men remain unaccounted for, and the GSF continues to operate under a UN mandate extended through March 2027.