By: Staff Writer
October 30, 2026
El Salvador has sent more than 2,000 troops into Haiti to search for four missing Salvadoran United Nations workers that were attacked in an ambush by a gang on the outskirts of Port-Au Prince on October 8.
The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) confirmed the contingent’s arrival on Oct. 22 to support ongoing search and security operations in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac. The deployment followed Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s announcement of a military operation to recover the missing men and his warning that Haitian gangs would face a stronger response if the soldiers were not returned alive and unharmed.
The troops’ arrival aboard flights in recent days dramatically expands the Central American nation’s role in Haiti’s long-standing gang conflict. Yet it remains unclear who will command the new Salvadoran contingent, how long it will stay in Haiti or whether more forces will follow.
The Miami Herald also reported that one of the aircraft carrying the Salvadoran troops, a U.S. C-130 military transport, was provided by the Pentagon at the request of the U.S. State Department. It was unclear Friday evening if the other three chartered flights carrying Salvadoran military, including a Boeing 737 that turned up unannounced before 10 p.m., had been provided by the U.S. government.
El Salvador and several other countries have provided troops that have deployed in Haiti over the past few months as part of a United Nations-authorized Gang Suppression Force to help Haiti deal with its growing violence crisis. The U.S., which supports the gang-fighting force, is one of seven countries providing strategic direction and oversight, while Washington also plays an outsized role in determining which countries can participate and coordinates their deployment.
Neither the Haitian nor Salvadoran government immediately responded to requests for comment. The official in Haiti spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the security situation.
The deployment comes as the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force has reached about 2,000 personnel, just over a third of its planned strength a year into its mandate, with little improvement in Haiti’s security.
Armed gangs in Haiti have meanwhile expanded their influence over the capital and surrounding regions through extortion and brutal attacks that have displaced nearly 1.5 million people.
Haiti’s leaders have sought international security support since 2022, despite the country’s fraught history of foreign intervention. Gangs’ influence grew rapidly after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, deepening an insecurity crisis that has caused authorities to repeatedly delay elections.