The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Bukele says military operation launched to rescue Salvadorans in Haiti
Bukele warned that failure to free the men who have been missing since Sunday’s attack on an armoured vehicle would trigger a far more powerful operation.
Bukele said he had launched a military operation to recover four Salvadoran aviation technicians kidnapped in Haiti, with a warning of a stronger response if they are not returned alive and unharmed.
The four men were taken after gangs attacked an armoured vehicle in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince, on Sunday. They fled the burning vehicle and have not been seen since, marking the first major assault on the international gang suppression force in Haiti.
Bukele addressed gang leaders directly in a post on X, stating that today’s attack is minimal compared with what he warned would come if the hostages are not released. He noted that the mission in Haiti is strictly non-combat and consists of pilots and technical personnel focused on medical evacuations.
Haiti’s government called the abduction an absolute priority and said resources are being mobilised to achieve the goal, with coordination ongoing with the Gang Repression Force. It remained unclear whether Haitian authorities have confirmed the hostages are alive, and there was no immediate comment from the gang suppression force.
El Salvador is part of a multinational force including Chad, Jamaica, and Guatemala, with more than 2,000 troops on the ground. The UN had approved up to 5,550 personnel and over 50 civilian staff for the mission, with an extension to March 2027. El Salvador recently extended its participation for a year and broadened its mandate beyond medical evacuations.