El Salvador sends 100 special forces to Haiti search

Key Points:

• El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has deployed 100 special forces soldiers to Haiti to search for four Salvadoran military members ambushed by Haitian gangs, with potential plans to send another 100 troops to Port-au-Prince.
• The four men were attacked by heavily armed members of the Chen Mechan gang and backup from the 400 Mawozo gang while returning from a supermarket; their armored vehicle was riddled with bullets and set on fire, and they remain unaccounted for.
• The Salvadoran troops operate under the UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force, marking the first major incident involving this international armed force since its deployment in April, and highlighting escalating gang violence targeting international forces.
• Gang leaders, including Krisla and Lanmo San Jou, have publicly threatened to resist the Salvadoran military presence, with Lanmo San Jou showing signs of readiness to fight despite appearing visibly tired and disheveled in a recent video.
• Experts warn that Haiti’s gangs are increasingly willing and able to confront international forces directly, posing a significant challenge to the country’s fragile political transition and ongoing efforts to suppress gang violence.