Salvadoran special forces have reportedly launched a large-scale land and air military operation in 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 alias “Commander Galaxy”—have been neutralized during this offensive.
The operation reportedly involved the use of drones and combat helicopters. Airstrikes targeted several fortified camps serving as rear bases for the armed groups, with the objective of dismantling their strategic positions.
Simultaneously, commandos carried out an operation at the residence of a gang leader nicknamed “Ezol.” This intervention led to the rescue of 18 people held in captivity, including 12 young girls who had reportedly been subjected to sexual exploitation and used as leverage to extort ransoms from their families.
A significant sum of money, estimated at over one million dollars, was also discovered inside the residence.
El Salvador rejects any negotiations with gang leaders
In the face of these intensifying operations, several gang leaders reportedly attempted to contact Salvadoran authorities to negotiate their departure from Haitian territory. This proposal was categorically rejected by the President of El Salvador, who ordered the offensive against the armed groups to continue.
On the ground, several criminal factions are reportedly on the run, seeking refuge in forested areas. They are being tracked by surveillance drones and targeted by airstrikes carried out by combat helicopters. An operation slated to continue until gangs are dismantled
Salvadoran authorities have reportedly stated that the operation will persist until security is restored and normalcy returns to Haiti—a state in which no armed groups control any territory.
The Salvadorans have reportedly been met with cheers from some segments of the population, who view this intervention as a glimmer of hope for the restoration of peace and security.
For the time being, the fate of the powerful gang leader known as “Barbecue” remains uncertain. His whereabouts are unknown, even as operations against the various armed groups continue.