On October 29, 2026, official disclosures confirmed that the administration of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has formally authorized the deployment of more than 2,000 elite soldiers to Haiti, launching a large-scale cross-border operation centered on recovering four missing Salvadoran Gang Suppression Force (GSF) military technicians. The four service members vanished on October 18, 2026, after their convoy was ambushed near the community of Santo, roughly 12 kilometers outside Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, an incident the Haitian government has classified as a targeted kidnapping.
In an official public statement released by El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, October 28, the government outlined that the multi-nationally supported operation prioritizes the safe recovery of the four missing personnel, while also upholding El Salvador’s long-standing commitments to assist Haitian authorities in dismantling armed gang networks that have destabilized large swathes of the Caribbean nation. The announcement followed a landmark first phone call between President Bukele and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, where the two leaders aligned on operational parameters for the deployment, and reaffirmed mutual commitments to strengthen bilateral security coordination that fully respects Haitian national sovereignty and state authority.
Haiti’s sitting administration issued a concurrent statement expressing full solidarity with the abducted Salvadoran service members and their families, noting that locating the missing troops ranks as an immediate top government priority. Port-au-Prince further emphasized its commitment to collaborative, partner-backed action to roll back gang influence and lay the groundwork for enduring national security and stability across the country.
Preliminary logistical movements for the deployment were already underway as of October 27, independent military flight trackers and Salvadoran domestic media verified. A Colombian Air Force C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, with registration number FAC1005, departed from San Salvador International Airport carrying advance Salvadoran military personnel and specialized operational equipment, before landing safely in Port-au-Prince to lay early groundwork for the incoming 2,000-troop contingent. Unconfirmed reports circulating from local Haitian gang leadership figures claiming the four missing Salvadoran personnel have been killed have not been formally verified by either national government as of press time, as search teams accelerate their on-ground operations across the Santo ambush area.