El Salvador has deployed troops to Haiti to try to rescue four Salvadoran service members believed to have been captured by Haitian gangs, according to a spokesperson for the UN-authorised multinational security mission in Haiti known as the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), CNN reported. A spokesperson for the mission confirmed to CNN on Thursday that Salvadoran troops had arrived in Haiti to support the effort.

Source: CNN via KION Central Coast

The missing service members, described as non-combatant aviation technicians supporting the GSF mission, were ambushed by gangs on October 18, Salvadoran officials have said, CNN reported. The Miami Herald first reported that a 100-strong team was deployed; El Salvador has not commented on the specific details of the mission, CNN said.

The GSF has been carrying out a days-long operation to try to find the men, and the effort has resulted in armed clashes that have left at least seven gang members dead and four GSF personnel wounded, the GSF has said, according to CNN. Those casualty figures are the force's own account and have not been independently verified.

How this escalated

The deployment came a day after Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced his country had launched an unspecified “military operation” to rescue the missing men, Al Jazeera reported. Bukele, known for a harsh crackdown on gangs at home, warned the gangs on X: “And do not take our word for empty threats. We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too.” This desk reported Bukele's announcement and warning on Wednesday.

Gang leader Lanmo Sanjou issued a response to Bukele on Thursday, filming himself with large quantities of ammunition and warning that his group would “fight to stay alive,” CNN reported.

El Salvador is a contributor to the Gang Suppression Force, which was established by the UN Security Council in 2025 to combat the armed groups that control large parts of Haiti, and consists of around 5,500 military and police personnel and 50 civilians; Bukele has said the Salvadorans' primary role is carrying out medical evacuations, CNN reported.

4Salvadoran service members — non-combatant aviation technicians — believed captured after an October 18 ambush, CNN reported
7+gang members the GSF says were killed in clashes during its days-long search; 4 GSF personnel wounded — the force's own account via CNN
~100size of the Salvadoran team the Miami Herald first reported was deployed — CNN; El Salvador has not commented on specifics

Haiti's government has described the release of the abducted soldiers as an “absolute priority” and held a meeting at the prime minister's office to assess the operations, Al Jazeera reported earlier this week. As of the latest reports, the four men remain unaccounted for and no group has publicly claimed responsibility for the ambush.

What is solid

  • Salvadoran troops have arrived in Haiti to support the rescue effort — a GSF spokesperson confirmed it to CNN on Thursday
  • The four missing men are Salvadoran aviation technicians supporting the GSF who were ambushed on October 18, Salvadoran officials have said, CNN reported
  • The GSF was established by the UN Security Council in 2025 and has around 5,500 military and police personnel, CNN reported

What is only claimed

  • Casualty figures from the search — the GSF says at least seven gang members were killed and four GSF personnel wounded; those figures are the force's own account and have not been independently verified
  • The size of the Salvadoran deployment — the Miami Herald first reported a 100-strong team; El Salvador has not commented on the specific details