Haitian National Police graduates march on graduation day, 10 January 2025 (Photo: U.S. Embassy Haiti, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

HAITI · EL SALVADOR

Salvadoran Forces Expand Search

El Salvador has sent about 450 troops to Haiti to look for four missing military technicians, according to AP reporting. About 100 special-forces soldiers arrived on Thursday, 22 October, and roughly 350 more landed on Friday, 23 October.

The search is the latest turn in the Haiti crisis, which The Rio Times follows daily. It adds pressure on a UN-authorised police force that is far below its planned strength.

The soldiers support the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and the Haitian National Police in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, north-east of Port-au-Prince. The GSF said the Salvadoran contingent is assisting operations coordinated with the police and other partners.

File photo, 2008: Port-au-Prince and its bay seen from the UN mission’s headquarters. (Photo: US Navy / Chief Mass Communication Specialist James G. Pinsky, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The four men are aviation technicians who supported medical evacuations, not combat troops, President Nayib Bukele has said. They disappeared on Sunday, 18 October, after armed men ambushed their armoured vehicle near Santo, in the Croix-des-Bouquets area.

Bukele announced the rescue operation on 21 October. El Salvador’s armed forces first said the men escaped the burning vehicle before they vanished.

Gangs and Earlier Attempts

The ambush took place where the Chèn Méchan and 400 Mawozo gangs operate. We found no public evidence showing which group holds the men.

Several attempts to reach them by land and air were hampered by heavy fighting. Wilson Joseph, who leads 400 Mawozo, posted a video saying he would wait for the Salvadorans and not flee.

The GSF replaced the Kenyan-led police mission, so this is a major test of how it works in gang territory. Haitian authorities have called the men’s recovery a priority.

UN Counts a Deepening Crisis

The UN told the Security Council on 19 October that gang violence killed 1,123 people and injured 440 from July to early October. The GSF had 1,563 uniformed members as of 12 October, against 5,550 authorised.

Nearly 1.5 million Haitians are displaced, the UN says. More than 35 political parties and 3,500 candidates have registered for a vote that has no firm date.

UN envoy Carlos Ruiz Massieu warned that setting election dates without a realistic check on feasibility would erode public confidence. For background, see our explainers What Is Happening in Haiti? and El Salvador Troops Reach Haiti to Find 4.

What It Means for US Readers

Haiti’s gang war is a Caribbean problem on America’s doorstep, tied to migration pressure and to a UN force that Washington supports. A bigger Salvadoran presence shows regional partners will send troops, though numbers remain well short of the mission’s target.

Readers with ties to the region should watch whether the four men are found, because a failed rescue could weaken support for the force. Travel to Haiti remains unsafe for outsiders.

What Is Not Known

The whereabouts and condition of the four technicians are unknown. Officials have not said whether the expanded search has produced contact, a rescue or an arrest.

The troop total is not officially confirmed. Early reports spoke of about 200 soldiers, while later AP reporting said 350 more landed on Friday, which gives about 450.

Sources

UN News (Security Council briefing, 19 October 2026); The Haitian Times (23 October 2026); The Gleaner (24 October 2026); AP (23 October 2026); Gang Suppression Force statement as reported.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Salvadoran troops are now in Haiti?

About 450, according to AP reporting: roughly 100 arrived on Thursday and 350 on Friday. Earlier reports spoke of about 200, and officials have not confirmed a total.

Who are the four missing men?

They are Salvadoran aviation technicians who supported medical evacuations for the security mission, according to President Bukele. They disappeared after an ambush on Sunday, 18 October.

Which gangs operate where the attack happened?

The Chèn Méchan and 400 Mawozo gangs operate around Santo in the Croix-des-Bouquets area. No group has been publicly shown to hold the men.

What is the Gang Suppression Force?

It is the UN-authorised force that replaced the Kenyan-led mission. It had 1,563 uniformed members on 12 October, against 5,550 authorised.