2026 Croix-des-Bouquets kidnapping

Rare card · No. 33504

On 18 October 2026, Haitian gang members ambushed an armored vehicle carrying four Salvadoran aviation technicians of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in the Haitian commune of Croix-des-Bouquets in the Ouest Department. The technicians attempted to flee but were kidnapped and taken hostage by the gang members. No group has claimed responsibility for the ambush nor has officially been identified as being responsible. On 20 October, the GSF and the Haitian National Police launched a helicopter offensive that killed several gang members while attempting to locate the technicians. On 21 October, Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele announced the beginning of a military operation to rescue the technicians, stating that they had been kidnapped by Haitian gang members. He threatened to "finish" the gangs if the technicians were not returned alive. By 28 October, El Salvador had 2,000 soldiers in Haiti. GSF and non-governmental organization representatives believe that gang members committed the...

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