Photo credit, @nayibbukele
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé praised the “commitment of Salvadoran forces in the fight against gangs” after a joint operation against a house allegedly used by gang leader 400 Mawozo.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele earlier announced that a joint task force had "destroyed" what he described as "the house of Lanmò San Jou and the headquarters of the 400 Mawozo gang."
A small contingent of Salvadoran soldiers has been present in Haiti since January 2025 as part of a multinational force deployed to combat gang violence.
Last month, Bukele sent 2,000 additional troops to rescue four Salvadorans who had been missing since their Oct. 18 ambush.
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Bukele's post on X was accompanied by a video showing several helicopters firing at a large compound.
As helicopters hovered over the area, dozens of people could be seen fleeing the property, fleeing the strikes.
In a text in Creole, Bukele said: “We kept our promise,” adding that the suspected gang members “ran away without even trying to fight.”
Local media reported that around 20 people were killed in the strike, which reportedly took place in the early hours of Sunday.
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They also said Lanmò San Jou, real name Wilson Joseph, was not at the scene at the time of the attack.
In a message published on
“THE GANGS WILL NOT SLEEP!” » he added.
Although he provided no further details about the joint operation or the number of casualties, Fils-Aimé released an image taken from the video shared by Bukele showing a helicopter firing a projectile at the compound.
The BBC was unable to verify the video posted by Bukele, nor was it able to confirm whether the property is indeed the headquarters of the 400 Mawozo, Haiti's largest criminal gang, infamous for its kidnappings for ransom.
Photo credit, Reuters
The attack on the gang's alleged headquarters appears to have taken place after an X forum user incited Bukele to attack the compound.
“Where is this house?” Give us the exact address, and we will destroy it,” the Salvadoran president responded to the post, which has since been deleted, apparently for violating X's rules.
Bukele has previously made threats against Haitian gangs.
Following the kidnapping of four Salvadoran air force technicians on October 18, he spoke directly to "the gang leaders and members who are holding our four compatriots hostage in Haiti."
“We are already done with gangs in El Salvador, and we can be done with you too,” he wrote in Creole, referring to his crackdown on gang violence in his own country.
The four Salvadorans kidnapped worked within the GSF, a unit made up of troops from several nations.
Bukele's decision to send thousands of additional troops to Haiti since their kidnapping has raised concerns among critics who say they are not all operating within the GSF command structure.
It has also raised questions about the operational legitimacy and legality of their actions in the Caribbean country.
Amnesty International urged both countries to "ensure that all operations carried out by Salvadoran forces in Haiti comply with international human rights law."
We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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