SAN SALVADOR — President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador stated on Saturday that human remains recently delivered to Salvadoran military teams in Haiti do not belong to four Salvadorans who have been reported missing since an attack by gangs on October 18.
An official from the Salvadoran government, who requested anonymity to discuss the situation, confirmed that the remains are not associated with the missing aviation technicians, who are part of a federally supported gang suppression force in Haiti.
According to Bukele, the four missing individuals are aviation technicians rather than combat-trained military personnel. He clarified on social media platform X that the remains handed over included a child, a man significantly taller than the Salvadoran technicians, and another individual in a uniform not worn by Salvadoran forces.
While Bukele did not specifically mention a fourth body, he noted that identification cards and military uniforms from other countries were found among the remains. He reiterated that the bodies are not those of the missing technicians, despite claims from the organization that delivered them.
Another anonymous official informed The Associated Press that four bodies were found, but their identities have not yet been confirmed as those of the Salvadoran technicians.
The New York Times, referencing a humanitarian aid organization, reported that the remains might belong to the missing Salvadorans, but that they were “severely burned” and would require autopsies for proper identification.
On October 22, El Salvador deployed over 100 special forces troops to Haiti to assist in efforts to locate the missing technicians. This military operation was announced a day after the incident, with officials warning of escalated responses if the technicians were not safely released. Haiti’s government has labeled the situation as a kidnapping and stated that finding the technicians is a top priority.
