He assured that an operation is already underway to locate and rescue four Salvadorans in Haiti.

On Wednesday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele issued a stern warning to Haitian gangs after the kidnapping of four Salvadoran citizens who were part of an international security mission deployed in Haiti.

RELATED: Haiti Seeks Security Guarantees Ahead of Dec. 13 Elections

The four missing men are members of the Gang Suppression Force, a United Nations-backed unit tasked with combating armed groups that control large swathes of the Caribbean country.

According to reports, the Salvadorans were ambushed last Sunday while returning to their base from a supermarket in the town of Croix-des-Bouquets, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.

The armored vehicle they were traveling in was hit by explosives and caught fire during the attack. Although the soldiers managed to escape the vehicle, their whereabouts have been unknown since.

Bukele assured that an operation is already underway to locate and rescue the four Salvadorans. The president emphasized that the hostages are technicians and support staff dedicated to humanitarian work and medical evacuations.

🇸🇻🇭🇹 Bukele inicia operación militar en Haití para rescatar a cuatro connacionales

🚨 El presidente de El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, arrancó esta estrategia ante el presunto secuestro de cuatro técnicos militares retenidos por pandillas haitianas.

🗣 "Señores, los secuestrados no… pic.twitter.com/BoXNaTY9JN

— Sputnik Mundo (@SputnikMundo) October 22, 2026

The text reads, “Bukele Launches Military Operation in Haiti to Rescue Four Nationals. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, kicked off this strategy in response to the alleged kidnapping of four military technicians held by Haitian gangs.”

The president warned gang leaders that the current operation “is nothing compared to what’s coming” if the hostages are not released alive. At the same time, he offered the “possibility” of avoiding further consequences through their prompt release.

Bukele also reiterated that his government has launched an intense offensive against gangs in El Salvador and affirmed that it will act decisively to protect its citizens.

The Gang Suppression Force and special units of the Haitian National Police are maintaining operations in the area where the kidnapping occurred. During recent clashes, several members of armed groups were killed.

The incident comes amid the serious security crisis in Haiti, where thousands of people have died in recent years due to gang violence. Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime described the search for the four Salvadorans as an absolute priority for the country’s authorities.

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced on October 13 his intention to release nearly 50% of the prisoners accused of collaborating with gangs in the country. According to the president, the measure would involve early release, albeit conditional.

“We have a plan that would benefit roughly 50% (give or take) of the prisoners in El Salvador who have collaborated with gangs … In other words, early release – meaning they are guilty but are released conditionally. Released under supervision,” Bukele told the press.

In this regard, he said that his government would evaluate the situation of each detainee to keep the country free from the structural violence that has plagued it for decades: “Considering that we come from a country where violence was part of everyday life and gangs were the real government, the real dictatorship. These people lived under that yoke, but it is not the same to be among those who enforced it as it is to simply survive that reality.”

If we take into account the figure provided by the authorities (according to which nearly 100,000 people are currently detained on various charges) this could mean the release of tens of thousands of people.

Domestic criticism of El Salvador’s mass incarceration

Before Bukele took office, El Salvador was in the throes of a severe crisis of insecurity and violence. His administration imposed a perpetual state of emergency that began in 2022 and has led to the imprisonment of thousands of Salvadorans accused of belonging to gangs (or “maras”) that controlled large swaths of the Central American country.

And while the pacification of the streets has been celebrated by a significant portion of the population, the harsh actions of the government and its police and military forces have drawn criticism from various human rights organizations, which have accused the government of excessive use of force, mistreatment of prisoners, and the unjust detention of individuals who do not belong to gangs.

Read more: CECOT: Bukele’s mega prison where “the only way out is in a coffin”

Another criticism has been leveled at the practice of mass trials, which charge and convict a large number of people at the same time. Rights groups say this has led to countless errors in the treatment of individual defendants. Added to this are allegations of arbitrary detentions, crimes against humanity, and disappearances.

International outrage at 252 Venezuelans detained in El Salvador

The prison system implemented by Bukele in El Salvador has also faced international criticism. The Central American country became a focal point of controversy when hundreds of people deported from the United States were detained in the Salvadoran prison system, which drew widespread criticism of the Bukele government.

Bukele, however, had defended the decision and reaffirmed his alliance with the Donald Trump administration and his participation in the Washington-led geopolitical and military initiative known as Shield of the Americas.

Read more: Maduro gov’t negotiates return of 252 Venezuelans detained by US in El Salvador

The news of the possible release of tens of thousands of detainees sparked even more intrigue, considering that Bukele’s announcement came immediately after his conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which they discussed combating “malign foreign influence.” However, it remains unclear how the two issues are linked, according to El País.