Haitian police and Salvadoran forces destroyed a home of the 400 Mawozo gang during an operation on Sunday.
President Nayib Bukele announced the attack on X, posting footage of helicopters circling overhead and firing on the site near Port-au-Prince.
The military action comes as approximately 2,500 Salvadoran personnel operate in Haiti following the mid-October disappearance of four Salvadoran aviation technicians in a gang ambush.
They Haitians are our in the streets chanting Bukele’s name. They have regained hope of a better future pic.twitter.com/t0EgVRc8hD
The four Salvadoran airmen vanished on October 18 after gunmen ambushed their armored vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets, a gang-held suburb about seven kilometers outside Port-au-Prince. These technicians were originally assigned to a medical unit supporting the United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti. Following the ambush, President Bukele dramatically escalated his country’s military footprint from an initial 200-man logistics unit to a force of over 2,000 combat troops.
While the initial 200 personnel operated strictly within the GSF framework authorized by the UN Security Council, the subsequent deployment of heavy combat troops occurred without clear international mandates, published rules of engagement, or transparent agreements with Haitian authorities.
Bukele initially demanded the return of the missing personnel, offering a direct exchange in which all Salvadoran forces would immediately withdraw if the technicians were released. Later, the Salvadoran leader expanded his rhetoric, warning Haiti’s criminal networks with messages posted on social media.
Wilson Joseph, also known as Lanmò Sanjou and recognized as the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, requested mediation and warned of a possible escalation of violence.
El Salvador’s forces under President @nayibbukele destroyed the “Casa de la Muerte” and the headquarters of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. The strike, carried out with Salvadoran helicopters in support of Haitian police, is part of the broader operation to locate four missing…
Instead, Joseph pointed to a rival faction, the Chèn Méchan gang, as the group controlling the territory where the attack took place. Joseph asserted that the captured Salvadoran airmen were dead. In contrast, the Salvadoran government maintained that the men remained officially missing.
Military Strikes Cause Fatalities in Plaine Du Cul-De-Sac
The unfolding military campaign has introduced heavy armor and aerial strikes into densely populated areas of the Caribbean nation. On Sunday, Haitian police and Salvadoran soldiers targeted the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac region, destroying the headquarters and a residential property linked to Wilson Joseph.
The operation involved attack helicopters firing on the site, resulting in twenty reported fatalities. Romain Le Cour, director of the Haiti program at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, noted that armed groups in Haiti possess military-grade weapons.
The intense urban skirmishes have already displaced more than 2,000 residents in the affected zones. Humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, reported treating individuals injured by gunfire and explosions while being forced to suspend mobile clinic activities for security reasons. A drone strike on November 8 killed Mathias Saintil, leader of the Viv Ansanm gang coalition.
Political Stakes
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé is set to visit El Salvador next week to discuss the future of Salvadoran troops in Haiti.
Amnesty International urged both governments to ensure all operations comply with international human rights law.
🇸🇻🇭🇹🚨The Salvadoran Armed Forces and Haitian National Police *reportedly* conducted a joint operation to destroy 400 Mawozo gang leader, Wilson Joseph's, private residence. On November 6th Nayib Bukele requested the coordinates of Wilson Joseph's (alias Lanmò San Jou) mansion.… pic.twitter.com/t2KnKz5vFd
President Bukele maintains that El Salvador is covering 90 percent of the financial cost of the deployment, as reported by Havana Times.
Donald Trump endorsed the mission after speaking with Bukele, telling him, You have to do what you have to do,
according to Axios.
Wilson Joseph, the leader of 400 Mawozo, previously stated that the four missing Salvadorans are dead, while the Salvadoran government maintains they are alive, according to AP News.
National Police and Salvadoran soldiers destroyed the home of Wilson Joseph on Sunday.
😕I don't usually deal with this particular area… but I found it interesting. Attack against the 400 Mawozo criminal gang in Haiti: Salvadoran military forces participated in an air operation against the criminal organization. Haitian security forces, with the assistance of… pic.twitter.com/x5zhEGwduv
The mission’s central objective remains unresolved as search efforts continue for the four missing aviation technicians.
Earlier coverage: Salvadoran Troops Target Haitian Gangs and Destroy Leader's Home