El Salvador sends hundreds of soldiers to Haiti after four UN-backed mission members go missing

Summary

El Salvador has sent about 1,000 troops to Haiti after four Salvadoran members of a UN-backed security mission went missing in a gang ambush on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, on October 18, a security official in Haiti told Reuters on Tuesday. Reports say the troops arrived on flights in recent days in a string of deployments, which sharply expands El Salvador's role in Haiti's long-running gang conflict. Bloomberg reported a lower figure, saying El Salvador's troop presence in Haiti has swelled to at least 600, according to a top researcher, and tied the buildup to President Nayib Bukele's efforts to find the four kidnapped soldiers. Reporting also says it remains unclear who will command the new Salvadoran contingent and how long it will stay in Haiti.

Timeline

1. The Straits Times

   27 Oct 2026, 17:56 UTCSource ↗

   The Straits Times reports that El Salvador has sent about 1,000 troops to Haiti after four Salvadoran members of a UN-backed security mission went missing in a gang ambush on the outskirts of the capital on October 18, according to a security official who told Reuters on Tuesday.

2. CBC

   27 Oct 2026, 20:12 UTCSource ↗

   CBC reports that around 1,000 soldiers from El Salvador have been sent to Haiti in a string of deployments after four Salvadoran members of a UN-backed force went missing during a gang ambush on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, citing a security official who told Reuters on Tuesday.

3. Bloomberg

   27 Oct 2026, 22:23 UTCSource ↗

   Bloomberg reports that El Salvador's troop presence in Haiti has swelled to at least 600, according to a top researcher, as President Nayib Bukele seeks to find four kidnapped soldiers in the Caribbean nation.

4. South China Morning Post

   28 Oct 2026, 04:30 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that about 1,000 Salvadoran troops have arrived in Haiti on flights in recent days after four members of a UN-backed security mission went missing in a gang ambush on October 18, and that it remains unclear who will command the contingent or how long it will stay.