Salvadoran troops supported Haitian police in a strike on a compound near Port-au-Prince on Sunday, Nov. 8, that President Nayib Bukele identified as the 400 Mawozo gang’s headquarters, and reports said 20 people were killed.
Bukele announced the operation on Tuesday, Nov. 10. He posted video showing helicopters firing on buildings as people fled. He said the site was also the home of gang leader Wilson Joseph, known as Lanmò San Jou.
Joseph was reportedly not there during the raid. The Miami Herald reported the death toll, citing unnamed sources. Haitian and Salvadoran authorities have not publicly confirmed the death toll.
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé praised El Salvador’s support. He was preparing to meet with El Salvador’s government to discuss the future of Salvadoran forces in Haiti. More than 2,000 Salvadoran troops have been deployed since four Salvadoran personnel went missing after an ambush on Oct. 18.
Most of the troops operate outside the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force. This has raised questions about oversight and the rules for using force. Amnesty International has urged both governments to disclose the agreement for the deployment.
It has also urged them to ensure the troops’ operations follow international human rights law.