US President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that some of the four Salvadoran aviation technicians missing in Haiti may have been killed. He shared these concerns following a discussion with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who expressed alarm about the ongoing security issues in Haiti.
While at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump relayed Bukele’s worries about the situation, which stem from an attack on Salvadoran personnel. “I did speak to him. He said that he has a big problem with Haiti. I said, look, you’re running your country. You have to do what you have to do,” Trump stated. He added, “They killed some of his people,” referring to the incident involving the missing technicians.
Though Trump’s comments imply that the four technicians may have been killed, their deaths remain unconfirmed by official sources. When asked if the United States is considering providing assistance, Trump responded, “He [Bukele] doesn’t need help. He’s in pretty good shape.”
El Salvador sends troops to Haiti
In a response to the situation, El Salvador announced on Wednesday the deployment of over 2,000 troops to Haiti. This deployment aims to aid in the search for the four technicians who went missing following a gang ambush near Port-au-Prince on October 18.
The technicians had been part of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, collaborating with Haitian authorities to combat armed gangs. President Bukele later confirmed on the social media platform X that he had indeed spoken with Trump about the matter and previously dismissed reports suggesting that bodies recovered in Haiti could belong to the missing personnel.
Additionally, the office of Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime disclosed that the Salvadoran and Haitian governments have agreed to enhance their cooperation on rescue operations and overall security efforts in the region.
