El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is taking decisive action to secure the release of four air force personnel who were ambushed and kidnapped by criminal gangs in Haiti this past Sunday. The personnel, who were part of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), were reportedly targeted in the Croix-des-Bouquets area while returning from a local market.
Their armored vehicle was disabled by explosives, forcing the team into a dangerous standoff. Bukele made his position clear in a post on X, stating that the military operation’s sole objective is to bring the men home alive.
He issued a blunt warning to the gangs, declaring that the attack on his personnel—who were tasked with medical evacuations rather than combat—would be met with overwhelming force if the hostages are not returned unharmed.
The situation in Haiti remains dire, as the country continues to spiral into lawlessness with armed gangs controlling roughly 85% of the capital. With over 5,500 people killed in gang-related violence in 2024 alone, the failure of the Haitian state to maintain order has created a vacuum that now threatens international personnel.
While the GSF has engaged gang elements with helicopter support, Bukele’s uncompromising stance signals that El Salvador will not tolerate the kidnapping of its citizens, regardless of the chaotic security environment in Haiti.
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