Haiti’s National Police agency has confirmed the discovery of the charred remains of a vehicle that four Salvadoran aviation technicians were traveling in when they were attacked more than two weeks ago. The men were intercepted deep within territory controlled by violent gangs, and while the vehicle has been recovered, there is currently no sign of the missing individuals.
Haitian authorities reported late Tuesday that the vehicle was found on the outskirts of the capital in the Santo neighborhood, located within the Croix-des-Bouquets community. Although this area is known to be under the control of violent gangs, police stated that they encountered no resistance during the operation. The search, which took place early Monday, was conducted by a joint force consisting of the Haitian National Police, a U.N.-backed gang suppression force, and Salvadoran troops.
The attack on Oct. 18 prompted Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to deploy more than 2,000 troops to Haiti to assist in the search for the missing technicians. This deployment has generated significant questions regarding the chain of command for the soldiers as they work alongside international efforts to address the gang crisis in the Caribbean nation. The United Nations has stated that the Salvadoran troops are operating outside the framework of the U.N. gang suppression force and must adhere to international law. While Haiti's prime minister has asserted that all foreign forces are under Haitian command, President Bukele has not confirmed this arrangement for his soldiers.
In a statement posted to X late Tuesday, President Bukele invoked the memory of Haitian hero Jean-Jacques Dessalines, suggesting that those who betrayed the liberator still exist in Haiti. Bukele wrote, "Some are gang members, others finance the gangs or supply them with weapons, and some among them are doing everything they can to prevent the Haitian people from gaining their freedom." He further promised to rid the country of "traitors," adding, "We can help you defeat them, but we are not your enemies. We are people with the same courage as you. We must stand up, take back control of our communities, and put under our control those who are making us endure all this pain, all this suffering."
These comments followed the first public remarks from Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé since the attack. The Prime Minister emphasized that Haiti remains in charge of any foreign forces within its borders and that these units are not replacing the state. Meanwhile, as security forces continue to battle gangs in Port-au-Prince, Wilson Joseph—the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, known as Lanmò Sanjou—called for dialogue. Joseph told The Associated Press on Monday that he had written to the U.N. secretary-general requesting that the organization deploy a delegation to Haiti for talks, citing concerns over the killing of civilians during the surge in fighting.
