El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has vowed a “far greater military operation” against Haitian gangs in retaliation for the kidnapping of four aviation technicians, warning that the groups would face intensified force if the hostages were not returned safely.
In a social media post translated from Haitian Creole, Bukele stated that the four men—described as part of an international mission focused on medical evacuations—were “cowardly” taken after visiting a market. He emphasized they are not combatants but technical personnel serving in his country’s humanitarian efforts.
Bukele declared: “If the hostages are not returned alive, the Haitian gangs will face a much larger military operation.” The president added that El Salvador has already “finished with the gangs in El Salvador” and can similarly dismantle groups terrorizing Haiti.
The operation follows recent gang attacks on the Gang Suppression Force, a coalition of over 2,000 troops from El Salvador, Chad, Jamaica, and Guatemala. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz separately warned gang leaders: “You can burn vehicles, erect barricades, terrorize the local police—but the Gang Suppression Force is coming for you.”
Bukele urged the gangs to return the hostages unharmed, stating: “Return our four compatriots to us alive, without any harm, and everything will go back to how it was before the kidnapping. The decision is in your hands.”
