The key facts
- Four Salvadoran aviation technicians went missing on Sunday after gangs attacked in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince — the first major attack on the international gang-suppression forces.
- Bukele announced a military operation and warned the gangs of 'threats,' stressing that El Salvador's mission is non-combatant (pilots and technical staff for medical evacuations).
- The Haitian government held a meeting and said it is mobilizing all resources; it is unknown whether the hostages have been confirmed alive.
Bukele's announcement
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele announced on Wednesday the launch of a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians kidnapped by gangs in Haiti. He warned that if the hostages are not returned alive and unharmed, the response will be 'far harsher.' Addressing the gang leaders, Bukele wrote on X: '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,' accompanying the post with a video of armored vehicles with shattered windows moving through smoke. He added that if the men return safely, 'everything will go back to how it was before the kidnapping,' but did not specify whether further actions would involve Salvadoran, Haitian, or international forces.
Circumstances of the kidnapping
The four men went missing on Sunday when gangs opened fire on an armored vehicle in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. The technicians left the burning vehicle and have not been seen since. This is the first major attack on the international gang-suppression forces since they began operating in Haiti.
El Salvador's position
Bukele stressed that El Salvador's mission in Haiti is strictly non-combatant: the four men are aviation technicians whose main task is medical evacuations. According to him, the Salvadoran contingent 'consists only of pilots and technical personnel — not for waging war.'
Haiti's response
On Wednesday evening, the Haitian government stated that the kidnapping of the technicians is an 'absolute priority.' According to the authorities, a meeting was held at the prime minister's office to assess current operations and coordinate with the Gang Suppression Forces. 'All necessary resources are being mobilized to achieve this goal,' the statement said. It is unknown whether Haitian authorities have confirmed that the four men are alive. A spokesperson for the gang-suppression forces did not respond to requests for comment.
Mission context
The attack underscores the scale of challenges facing international forces in Haiti, where gangs are estimated to control about 70% of Port-au-Prince. The country is preparing for its first general elections in more than a decade. El Salvador is one of several countries, including Chad, Jamaica, and Guatemala, participating in the multinational force of more than 2,000 personnel. In 2025, the UN approved up to 5,550 security personnel and more than 50 civilian specialists; the UN Security Council extended the mission's mandate by at least six months — until March 2027. In early October, El Salvador passed a law extending its participation by a year, expanding the mandate beyond medical evacuations to the deployment of civilian and military personnel for the mission's broader needs.
