Bukele Threatens Haitian Gangs Over Missing Personnel

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has launched a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran air force personnel missing in Haiti, warning armed gangs of a stronger response if the men are not returned alive and unharmed.

Bukele Issues Warning to Gangs

Bukele announced the operation on Wednesday, saying the latest attack against the Salvadoran personnel would be insignificant compared with what could follow if the four men were not released safely.

In a post on X, the president said the operation had one objective: bringing the missing personnel home alive.

He stressed that the men were not combatants but aviation specialists assigned to support medical evacuations and other life-saving activities in Haiti.

Bukele added that if all four were returned without harm, the situation could return to how it had been before their disappearance. He accused the gangs of kidnapping the men while they were returning from purchasing food at a local market.

Personnel Disappear After Ambush

The four men went missing on Sunday after their armoured vehicle was ambushed by heavily armed criminal groups in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area near Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

According to El Salvador’s armed forces, the vehicle was struck by explosives and caught fire as the personnel travelled back to their camp. The men escaped the burning vehicle, but contact with them was subsequently lost.

Salvadoran authorities deployed helicopters to help locate the missing personnel. However, attempts to reach the area by land and air were repeatedly hindered by intense fighting and dangerous security conditions.

No gang had publicly claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of the reports.

International Security Force Mobilised

The missing personnel were part of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), an international mission established with United Nations Security Council authorisation to support Haitian security forces in confronting escalating gang violence.

The force said it was searching for the four men following the ambush. It also reported engaging armed gang members with helicopter support, with initial reports indicating that several gang members had been killed.

The attack has highlighted the dangers facing international personnel deployed to help restore security in Haiti, where armed groups have expanded their influence and repeatedly clashed with security forces.

UN Warns of Escalating Gang Violence

The United Nations has previously warned that Haitian gangs were adapting to increased security pressure, carrying out reprisals against civilians and expanding their activities into rural areas.

Haiti has faced prolonged political instability and worsening insecurity, particularly since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Armed groups have gained significant control in parts of the country, while violence has displaced large numbers of people.

The country has also struggled to organise national elections. Presidential and legislative elections scheduled for 13 December were postponed indefinitely, deepening uncertainty over its political future.

El Salvador Seeks Safe Return

Bukele’s announcement signals a more direct response from El Salvador as efforts to locate the four missing personnel continue.

The president has made tackling criminal gangs a defining feature of his administration’s policies at home and warned that the Haitian groups could face a similar determination if the men were not returned safely.

However, the immediate priority remains locating the missing personnel and securing their release amid continuing clashes and difficult operating conditions.

The incident has added to concerns about the risks facing the international security mission as it attempts to support Haitian authorities and contain gang violence.