El Salvador deploys 1,000 troops to Haiti after gang ambush

El Salvador has sent approximately 1,000 troops to Haiti following the disappearance of four members of a UN-backed security mission in an ambush on October 18, according to a security official in Haiti.

The deployment, which includes troops arriving by flight in recent days, marks a significant increase in El Salvador's involvement in Haiti's gang conflict. However, details about command structure, duration, and potential follow-up forces remain unclear.

The Haitian and Salvadoran governments did not immediately comment on the deployment. The official in Haiti spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the security situation.

Armed gangs in Haiti have expanded their control over the capital and surrounding areas through extortion and violent attacks, displacing nearly 1.5 million people. Haiti has sought international security assistance since 2022, despite its history of foreign intervention.

Pierre Esperance, head of Haiti's National Human Rights Defense Network, welcomed the rapid deployment but emphasized the need for operations to avoid harming civilians in gang-controlled areas.

President Nayib Bukele announced a military operation to recover the missing Salvadorans, who were last seen jumping from a burning vehicle during the ambush. The US provided C-130 transport aircraft to assist in the movement of troops.

Additional flights between San Salvador and Port-au-Prince were reported by flight-tracking sites and media outlets. A photo on X showed a plane carrying uniformed soldiers, some taking selfies.

Bukele has built domestic support through a hardline anti-crime campaign, which has drawn criticism from human rights groups for its impact on due process and links to deaths in custody.

Bukele stated the missing Salvadorans were air force technicians returning from a market and believed they were being held hostage by criminal groups. No Haitian gang has claimed responsibility for the ambush.

Before the ambush, El Salvador had deployed at least 124 personnel to the UN-backed mission, including pilots and technicians for evacuation purposes. Haiti has also hired a private military company linked to Erik Prince, known for controversial anti-gang drone operations.

Luis Contreras, a Salvadoran security analyst, expects some of the new troops to operate outside the UN mission's command and potentially coordinate with Prince's firm. He noted the UN has lacked political will to address Haiti's gang issue.