El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced Wednesday that a military operation has been launched to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians abducted by gangs in Haiti, warning that failure to return them alive and unharmed will trigger a significantly stronger response.
The four technicians have been missing since Sunday, when gangs opened fire on an armored vehicle in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. After fleeing the burning vehicle, the men have not been seen. The incident marks the first major attack on the international gang suppression force since operations began in Haiti.
Addressing Haitian gang leaders directly, Bukele issued a stark ultimatum.
“Today’s attack is nothing compared to what is coming if they do not release the four hostages alive. And do not take our words as empty threats,” he wrote on X, sharing footage of armored vehicles with shattered windows moving through smoke.
He added that if the men are returned safely, “everything will go back to the way it was before the kidnapping,” though he did not specify whether any further action would involve Salvadoran, Haitian, or international forces.
Bukele emphasized that El Salvador’s mission in Haiti is strictly non-combat. The four men are aviation technicians whose primary role is conducting medical evacuations, he said, noting that the Salvadoran contingent “consists only of pilots and technical personnel — not to wage war.”
Haiti Declares Rescue Operation an “Absolute Priority”
Haiti’s government responded Wednesday evening, calling the abduction of the technicians an “absolute priority.” Officials met at the prime minister’s office to assess ongoing operations and coordinate with the Gang Repression Force, according to a government statement.
“All necessary resources are being mobilized to achieve this goal,” the statement said. It remained unclear whether Haitian authorities had confirmed the four men are still alive. A spokesperson for the gang suppression force did not respond to requests for comment.
The attack highlights the scale of the challenge facing international forces in Haiti, where gangs are estimated to control roughly 70 percent of Port-au-Prince. The country is also preparing for its first general election in more than a decade.
El Salvador is among several nations—including Chad, Jamaica, and Guatemala—contributing to the multinational gang suppression force, which has more than 2,000 troops on the ground.
The UN originally authorized up to 5,550 security personnel and more than 50 civilian staff for the mission in 2025. The Security Council later granted at least a six-month extension, extending the mandate through March 2027.
In early October, El Salvador passed legislation extending its participation in the force for one year and broadening its mandate beyond medical evacuations to permit the deployment of civilian and military personnel as required by the mission.
