El Salvador's Bukele Deploys 450 Troops to Haiti After Four Aviation Technicians Disappear in a Gang Ambush

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele gestures as he delivers a speech during the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) in Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador, on May 19, 2026. El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, announced on May 19 the launch of a crackdown on corruption, after declaring victory in his "war" against violent gangs, which has resulted in some 91,000 arrests. (Credit: Photo by Marvin RECINOS / AFP via Getty Images)

The Briefing:

• El Salvador has deployed approximately 450 special forces troops to Haiti since October 22 — the largest single-crisis Central American deployment inside the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force.
• President Nayib Bukele publicly rejected claims that four bodies recovered near Port-au-Prince belonged to his missing men, posting photographs on X showing the remains included a child and did not match any of the four aviation technicians.
• The four missing Salvadorans — non-combat aviation technicians assigned to Task Force Liberty II — have been unaccounted for since October 18, when gang members ambushed their armored vehicle in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets. As of Monday, October 26, the search continues.