Bukele sends special forces to Haiti and threatens gangs after kidnapping of Salvadoran soldiers

"The Force continues its operations in the area in close coordination with the Haitian National Police and relevant operational partners," the GFS said, urging local residents to stay away.

The four Salvadoran soldiers disappeared after their armored vehicle was ambushed by gangs on Sunday (18) as they returned to base from a market on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, according to US envoy to the United Nations, Mike Waltz.

In a statement released on Wednesday by Channel

"I want you gang leaders to understand one thing very clearly: today's attack is nothing compared to what is to come if we don't rescue the four hostages alive," wrote Bukele, who has promoted a widespread crackdown on gangs in his country.

Bukele, whose government arrested tens of thousands of people and built a huge high-security prison, CECOT, to house suspected gang members, continued.

"We still have time to prevent this. Give us back our four compatriots alive, without any injuries, and everything will go back to the way it was before the kidnapping," he wrote. "The decision is in your hands."

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has been in crisis for a long time, but the situation has deteriorated in recent years, with gangs intensifying murders, kidnappings, rapes and child grooming.

The country has not held elections since 2016, and its last president, assassinated in 2021, has not yet been replaced.

The GFS is gradually being mobilized to assist the overstretched local police. The mission aims to reach 5,500 people.