El Salvador has increased its troop presence in Haiti to about 2,000, saying the troops will help find four missing Salvadoran aviation technicians and support operations against armed gangs.
The four men were serving with the U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force when their armored vehicle was attacked in an ambush on October 18 in Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince. They have not been found. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele discussed the operation with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
Both governments have described cooperation on the search and Haiti’s security needs. Haiti’s government has said recovering the technicians is a priority. Bukele has publicly threatened a tougher response against gangs if the men are not released.
The deployment marks a major expansion of El Salvador’s role. Reuters reported that about 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers were in Haiti by Wednesday night. Sources said the number could be capped at 2,500.
Officials have not clearly said whether the troops will operate as part of the U.N.-backed force or separately. They have not explained who will command the troops, what rules will govern their use of force, or how long they will stay. That uncertainty has prompted concern about risks to civilians as the Salvadoran contingent joins an already strained effort to limit gang power.