A violent ambush targeting a UN-backed anti-gang task force in Haiti has left four Salvadoran aviation technicians missing, triggering a major international manhunt and sharp warnings from El Salvador’s top leader over the safety of the kidnapped personnel.
The attack unfolded Sunday in the Santo district of Croix-des-Bouquets, a commuter zone just outside Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. The four technicians, assigned to Task Force Libertad II as part of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), were traveling back to their base in an armored vehicle when armed assailants opened fire. Initial reports from the Salvadoran Armed Forces incorrectly put the number of missing personnel at five, before the official count was corrected to four. GSF officials confirmed that responding security personnel returned fire in line with engagement protocols, with supporting air cover deployed during the confrontation. Local reporting from Salvadoran outlet La Prensa Gráfica points to Viv Ansanm, a powerful criminal coalition helmed by ex-police officer Jimmy Chérizier – widely known by the alias “Barbecue” – as the group behind the attack.
Addressing the incident, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele emphasized that the abducted men are not frontline combatants. Their core role within the GSF mission centers on carrying out medical evacuations and saving lives, Bukele explained, adding that the group was returning from a trip to a local grocery store to purchase supplies when they were seized.
Bukele announced that El Salvador’s government has launched a dedicated military operation to bring the four technicians home safely. In a direct message to Haiti’s criminal gang leadership, the president stressed that the initial deployment of forces is only a limited first step. “This is just a preview of what will come if they are not released,” Bukele warned, reminding the gang leaders of his government’s widespread, successful crackdown on gang violence within El Salvador’s own borders. He stressed that the warning is not an empty threat, but that the responsible parties still have a window to release the hostages and avoid further escalation.
For its part, the Haitian government has labeled the rescue of the four Salvadoran personnel an “absolute priority.” Local authorities are working in full coordination with the GSF, mobilizing all available assets to locate the missing technicians, safeguard their lives, and bring the attackers to justice. Amid the ongoing search and clashes between security forces and gang members, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti has issued an urgent advisory for American citizens to avoid the Santo area entirely, noting that ongoing violence has left many local roads blocked or completely impassable.
As of the latest updates, search and security operations remain active across the region, with authorities focused squarely on securing the safe release of the four kidnapped personnel.