As part of a major emergency operation initiated by the Government of El Salvador, the Salvadoran military has deployed troops to Haiti to locate and rescue four of its service members who went missing following an ambush by gangs.

Thursday, October 22 : An initial contingent of approximately 100 elite soldiers from the Salvadoran special forces arrived at Toussaint Louverture Airport. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48731-haiti-news-zapping.html

Friday, October 23 : According to flight tracking data, a Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules—provided by the Pentagon at the request of the U.S. State Department—departed from El Salvador International Airport at 9:40 a.m. and landed in Port-au-Prince (PAP) at 2:07 p.m., carrying an additional 100 military personnel.

Throughout the day, flight activity involving both U.S. and Salvadoran aircraft intensified. According to our sources, the total number of Salvadoran soldiers on the ground has now reached 450 troops prepared to launch offensives if necessary. It should be noted that El Salvador’s Special Operations Group is a long-established elite commando unit, specialized in counter-insurgency and asymmetric warfare, and incorporates highly advanced, specialized units.

The deployment of an autonomous special operations force into hostile territory requires a massive volume of heavy cargo (ammunition, light vehicles, tactical drones, encrypted communication equipment, medical logistics, etc...) Flight HVY601 (operated by a specialized cargo carrier), which accompanied the troop transport, was tasked specifically with delivering this heavy infrastructure. Salvadoran special forces cannot rely on local logistics for a mission as critical as this. For rescue operations in hostile urban or semi-urban environments, these forces typically employ equipment designed for rapid mobility, high-volume firepower, and technological reconnaissance. Consequently, the logistical cargo transported on this flight (HVY601) likely contained the essential material support required for a fully operational, combat-ready force.

For security reasons, no official manifest or information regarding the cargo is available. Based on past operations, however, it is known that these special forces make extensive use of light drones for electronic surveillance and reconnaissance, mapping gang-controlled areas in real time and detecting potential ambushes. They also utilize encrypted communication systems, such as those from Harris or similar manufacturers, which are vital for maintaining contact between ground units and command without interception by criminal networks. Personnel are generally equipped with advanced night-vision systems and thermal sights to conduct nighttime assaults or search operations.

In terms of weaponry, these forces typically carry M4A1 assault rifles, IWI Tavor rifles, or 5.56mm Galil ACE rifles, often outfitted with laser pointers and suppressors for stealthy approaches. Snipers are equipped with precision rifles—such as the M24 or other 7.62mm systems—to secure perimeters, while light machine guns (like the M249 SAW) are used to provide suppressive fire.

It should be noted that the specific equipment carried on this flight to Haiti has not been officially confirmed. Furthermore, on the afternoon of Friday, October 23, the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, responded via his X account to those questioning his potential defeat at the hands of gangs in Haiti.

"Many messages, analyses, and comments claim that the gangs in Haiti are not like those in El Salvado, that they are bloodthirsty, heavily armed, and unconquerable; that every mission has failed; that we are walking into a trap; that we don’t know what we are up against; that this will be our ruin; and that we are heading toward our own Waterloo," Bukele wrote.

"But when God grants us victory, these same people will change their tune. They will say it was easy all along, that anyone could have done it, and that the gangs in Haiti weren’t as dangerous as people thought. In short, we have never listened to them, and we aren’t going to start now."

"Everyone who has enlisted is a believer, and we have entrusted this mission to God, whereas the gangs in Haiti are satanic [...] God will grant us victory. The Creator of the Universe is with us. Deuteronomy 28:7: 'The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven way,'" President Bukele wrote.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48731-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48716-haiti-flash-the-president-of-el-salvador-sends-a-message-to-haitian-terrorists-and-threatens-them.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48701-haiti-flash-the-4-salvadoran-soldiers-from-the-burned-out-armored-vehicle-are-missing.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48714-haiti-news-zapping.html

SL/ TB/ HaitiLibre