El Salvador deployed about 1,000 troops to Haiti in recent days following the October 18 gang ambush that left four Salvadoran air force technicians missing on the outskirts of the capital.
President Nayib Bukele announced a military operation last week to recover the missing technicians, who were returning to base when ambushed on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.
Armed gangs have displaced nearly 1.5 million people across Haiti, while the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force operates with only about 2,000 troops—roughly a third of its planned capacity.
The Dominican Republic pledged logistical support to the arrivals on Monday, while the US Southern Command facilitated the deployment by providing C-130 military transport aircraft.
It remains unclear who will command the new contingent, though Salvadoran security and organized crime analyst Luis Contreras suggests some troops may coordinate with a private military firm run by Blackwater founder Erik Prince.
Much remains unclear about the military operation, which was announced this week by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. For example, it is unclear how long the troops will stay, who is in command of the operation, and whether more Salvadoran troops will be sent to the violence-torn country.
What exactly happened to the four Salvadorans remains a mystery. Their armored vehicle was hit by explosives while they were on their way to their military base, after which the four fled from the burning vehicle. It is not known whether they are being held by a gang. It was previously reported that their bodies had been found, but according to Bukele, that was not the case.
Fighting gangs
The disappearance of the four Salvadorans is a new blow to the image of the so-called ‘Gang Suppression Force’ (GSF), whose mandate was extended by the UN Security Council in late September until March 2027. The unit, established to combat gangs, has been able to achieve little in Haiti since its arrival in April.
This is partly due to the small size of the mission. Only about 2,000 soldiers from Chad, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Guatemala, Jamaica, and El Salvador are fighting in the GSF. Originally, 5,500 people were supposed to participate, but because the GSF is not an official UN peacekeeping force, the mission depends on the personnel and equipment that countries voluntarily contribute. To date, that is far too little.
Adding to this is the fact that opposition from gangs in Haiti, which control at least 80 percent of the country, is increasing. “Gangs are testing the GSF,” Jack Christofides, a representative of the unit, told the on Monday.Security Council. In that same meeting, the highest UN representative in Haiti said that the gangs are increasingly adapting their tactics.
In addition to the GSF, private military companies are also active in Haiti. The most prominent is the company of Blackwater founder Erik Prince, which has an agreement with the Haitian government and collaborates with the national police. They primarily deploy drones against gangs, a method criticized by human rights organizations due to the risk of civilian casualties. Blackwater mercenaries shot and killed fourteen Iraqis in 2007 .
