Major Offensive by Salvadoran Commandos Against Armed Gangs in Forested Areas
Salvadoran special forces are said to have launched a major land and air military operation in the forested areas where several armed groups operating in Haiti have entrenched themselves. According to reports, around twenty gang members, including a leader known by the pseudonym “Commandant Galaxy,” are said to have been neutralized during this offensive.
The operation reportedly involved the use of drones and combat helicopters. Airstrikes are said to have targeted several fortified camps serving as rear bases for the armed groups, with the aim of dismantling their strategic positions. At the same time, commandos are said to have intervened at the residence of a gang leader nicknamed “Ezol.” This operation is said to have resulted in the liberation of 18 people held captive, including 12 young girls who are said to have been victims of sexual exploitation and used as leverage to extort ransoms from their families. A significant sum of money, estimated at over a million dollars, is also said to have been discovered inside the residence.
El Salvador Rejects Any Negotiation with Gang Leaders
In response to the intensification of operations, several gang leaders are said to have attempted to make contact with Salvadoran authorities to negotiate their departure from Haitian territory. A proposal that is said to have been categorically rejected by the President of El Salvador, who is said to have ordered the continuation of the offensive against the armed groups. On the ground, several criminal factions are said to be in flight, seeking refuge in forested areas. They are said to be tracked by surveillance drones and targeted by airstrikes carried out by combat helicopters.
An Operation Announced Until the Dismantlement of the Gangs
Salvadoran authorities are said to affirm that the operation will continue until security is restored and a normal situation returns in Haiti, without the presence of armed groups controlling territories. The Salvadorans are said to be welcomed by scenes of acclaim from certain populations, who see this intervention as a hope for regaining peace and security.
For now, the fate of the powerful gang leader known as “Barbecue” remains uncertain. He remains unlocated, as operations continue against the various armed groups.
Looks like a little mission creep might be creeping in. President Bukele may want to step in and remind those Salvadoran authorities that the mission is to a) retrieve their four citizens, b) kill those responsible, and c) return to El Salvador. Restoring a nonexistent security to Haiti is not going to happen without large-scale genocide.
This is exactly how the seeds of failure are often sown in victory.
Always slap down hard those commanders who get excited about the success of the mission and want to extend it. The irony is that those mission creepers were often naysayers about the original mission.