El Salvador has built what officials describe as a 2,000-strong military presence in Haiti in under two weeks and, on November 2, launched its first large ground offensive against the country’s violent criminal gangs in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac.

The four Salvadoran aviation technicians whose abduction triggered the deployment have not been found, and a gang leader now says they are dead.

The four men, aviation technicians attached to the U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), were returning to base in an armored vehicle when they were attacked in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, about 12 km from Port-au-Prince in mid-October.

El Salvador’s Armed Forces said the vehicle was hit by explosives and caught fire, and that all four got out. Helicopters sent to support them were also fired on and hit by the armed gangs.

The Armed Forces later said the four were taken hostage. They have not named the men or their ranks. Salvadoran outlets named one as 23-year-old Edimar Rosales. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack. Some Haitian outlets attribute the attack to the Chèn Méchan gang, whose territory includes Santo, which borders 400 Mawozo gang turf.

Rapid Buildup

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador announced a rescue operation on October 21 and said the aim was to recover the men alive. Troops began arriving the next day, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that 100 special forces were being sent to the Caribbean violence-racked territory.

Estimates then climbed: Le Nouvelliste reported up to 450 on October 23, Reuters cited a source putting the figure near 1,000 on October 27, and on October 28, the Salvadoran government confirmed 2,000 total military personnel. That exceeds the GSF’s roughly 1,500.

The force includes five MD 500E and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. U.S. Southern Command and the Colombian Aerospace Force reportedly flew troops in on C-130s, and the Dominican Republic provided logistics and intelligence.

Bukele says El Salvador covers 90% of the costs. His government states that the deployment is coordinated with Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and is not an invasion.

Reuters reported that President Trump told Bukele to “do what you have to do” in a call, but added that Washington would not supply equipment. In comments carried by Infobae, President Trump said El Salvador “doesn’t need help.”

Bukele has said troops would leave the same day if the four are handed over alive.

First Ground Offensive

On Monday, Salvadoran armored columns, about ten vehicles topped with heavy machine guns and special forces personnel, moved into the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac. The units targeted Chèn Méchan and 400 Mawozo around Santo and Croix-des-Missions, according to EFE and Latin Times.

The gangs installed barricades. Haitian media cited by EFE report at least ten gang members killed. Latin Times reports at least a dozen. No Salvadoran casualties were reported in these latest operations.

The Haitian National Police, backed by the GSF, ran a parallel operation at Carrefour Shada, the Croix-des-Missions bridge, and Santo 17. Its statement focused on removing toll checkpoints and ending kidnappings. Earlier, a joint GSF–police helicopter offensive killed several gang members and wounded four GSF personnel.

Accounts conflict related to the original missing four Salvadoran military personnel. On October 24, the GSF recovered burned bodies, but Bukele said they were not the technicians. 400 Mawozo leader Wilson Joseph, who has a US$1 million U.S. reward on him, first denied involvement and said Chèn Méchan killed the men “due to an error.”

In an AP interview reported by Infobae on November 3, he said they died in Chèn Méchan territory but offered no evidence. He also said he has flown a white flag since August 20 and wrote to the U.N. Secretary-General on November 1 asking for mediation.

U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric confirmed receipt but said it didn’t endorse the letter or recognize its author.

The Salvadoran government has not publicly responded to Joseph’s claim, according to Infobae. Trump said some Salvadoran soldiers had been killed, but Infobae notes that is unconfirmed. No proof-of-life video or ransom demand has been reported.

Disputes & Domestic Support

UNA–Haiti wrote to the U.N. on October 28 alleging aerial bombardments that killed civilians in Croix-des-Bouquets. Bukele said no bombs were used. The GSF also denied using explosives or aerial bombardments.

Médecins Sans Frontières reported 30 civilians wounded by gunfire or explosions in Port-au-Prince from October 18 to 26. Haitian media say residents protested the Salvadoran presence on November 2, and CNN en Español reported that the Viv Ansanm gang coalition threatened civilians who refused to join.

Videos circulating on social media also purport to show local Haitian residents chanting “¡Viva Bukele!” in response to the Salvadoran military presence.

Analysts have also questioned whether the Salvadoran force operates under the GSF mandate and chain of command.

In El Salvador, polls show wide support for the deployment in response to the missing four: CID Gallup found 86% approval of the rescue mission, and Data Poll 89%.

On September 29, the Legislative Assembly extended El Salvador’s GSF involvement through October 2027.