In a stern address to the United Nations Security Council on the escalating crisis in Haiti, United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz delivered a clear warning to Haiti’s powerful gang factions on Monday: the international community will no longer stand by as their brutal violence terrorizes the Caribbean nation, and the era of their unpunished rule is drawing to a close.
The remarks came in response to a brazen attack over the weekend that left four Salvadoran soldiers, who were deployed as part of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), missing in action. According to preliminary reports, the group of Salvadoran aviation technicians was traveling in an armored vehicle Sunday when assailants ambushed them in Croix-des-Bouquets, a commune located just north of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, opening fire with automatic weapons and detonating explosive devices.
While the four service members were able to flee their burning vehicle after the initial assault, they quickly lost all communication with their fellow GSF personnel. Multiple search and rescue missions, launched by both land and air to locate the missing troops, have been stalled by intense ongoing armed conflict in the area, complicating international efforts to bring the soldiers home safely.
Addressing the gathering of global security leaders, Waltz directly issued a rebuke to the gang leaders responsible for the attack and the ongoing instability plaguing Haiti. “To the gang bosses terrorizing Haiti, your days of operating with impunity are numbered,” he stated. The ambassador emphasized that the GSF and its international backers would not be deterred by the gangs’ violent intimidation tactics, which regularly include burning vehicles, building makeshift barricades across major roadways, and terrorizing local police forces and civilian populations.
Waltz reaffirmed that the United States remains fully committed to supporting the GSF’s mission, adding that search operations for the missing Salvadoran personnel will continue until they are located and returned to their units. This weekend’s attack marks the first large-scale offensive against the GSF since the multinational force officially launched its anti-gang operations, bringing into sharp focus the significant security and operational challenges that international troops face as they work to dismantle the powerful criminal networks that have controlled large swathes of Haiti for years.