El Salvador sends special forces to Haiti to search for abducted soldiers

At least 100 members of El Salvador’s special forces have arrived in Haiti to help search for four Salvadoran soldiers abducted last week, following a warning from President Nayib Bukele that those responsible must release the men immediately.

The troops arrived Thursday as El Salvador launched a military operation to locate the missing personnel. Another 100 Salvadoran soldiers could be deployed to Port-au-Prince in the coming days.

El Salvador has contributed military personnel to the United Nations-authorized Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti, which is tasked with combating gangs, securing critical infrastructure, protecting civilians and supporting humanitarian assistance alongside Haitian security forces.

The four Salvadoran soldiers have been missing since Oct. 18, when armed members of the Chèn Méchan and 400 Mawozo gangs ambushed an armored vehicle carrying them in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, as they returned from a supermarket.

The attackers fired guns and explosives at the vehicle, forcing the soldiers to flee before contact with them was lost. The area is a known gang stronghold near Port-au-Prince, where armed groups control an estimated 70% of the territory.

Bukele has demanded the immediate release of the men, emphasizing that they were not engaged in combat.

“Our team consists exclusively of pilots and technical personnel; their primary role is to carry out medical evacuations and save lives, not to wage war,” Bukele said. “Yet, you abducted them in a cowardly manner while they were returning from buying provisions at a local supermarket.”

He said the military operation had been launched to rescue the men, adding that the soldiers had “only one objective, to ensure that our four compatriots return home safe and sound.”

Bukele also warned gang leaders that the consequences of refusing to release the soldiers would be severe.

“And do not mistake our words for empty threats. We have dealt with gangs in El Salvador before, and we are fully capable of doing the same with you. There is still time to avoid this,” he said.

“Return our four compatriots to us, safe and sound, and everything will go back to the way it was before the abduction. The decision is in your hands.”

The four soldiers had not been found or released as of Sunday.

Thousands displaced by violence

Meanwhile, the United Nations warned Friday that armed violence continues to drive mass displacement across Haiti, with thousands of people fleeing their homes in recent days.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 7,000 people fled Petite-Rivière in the Artibonite department over four days, while more than 3,000 others were displaced in the commune of Arcahaie in the West department.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the latest displacement in Artibonite added to an already deteriorating humanitarian situation.

More than 17,000 people were displaced in the department alone last month, he said, with many families seeking shelter with host families as insecurity severely disrupts movement within communities.

The UN and its humanitarian partners are working with local authorities to monitor developments and assess urgent needs.

Dujarric warned that humanitarian needs continue to increase as violence forces more people from their homes.

The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Haiti is only 49% funded, he said, calling for additional financial support to address the growing crisis.