Haiti PM praises El Salvador after joint strike on alleged 400 Mawozo gang headquarters

Image caption: El Salvador's president posted a video on X of the strikes on a complex he said is the headquarters of 400 Mawozo

By Will Grant, Central America correspondent, and Claire Keenan

Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has praised "the commitment of the Salvadorean forces in the fight against gangs" after a joint strike on a house allegedly used by the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang.

El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, had earlier announced that a joint task force had "destroyed" what he described as "the house of Lanmò San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang's headquarters".

A small contingent of Salvadorean troops has been in Haiti since January 2025 as part of a multinational force deployed to suppress gang violence.

Last month, Bukele sent an extra 2,000 soldiers to rescue four Salvadoreans who have been missing since they were ambushed on 18 October.

Video Shows Helicopters Firing on Complex

Bukele's post on X was accompanied by video of several helicopters firing on a large complex.

As the helicopters circle above, dozens of people can be seen running out of the property, fleeing the strikes.

Writing in Creole, Bukele said "we kept our promise", adding that the alleged gang members "ran away without even trying to fight".

Local media reported that as many as 20 people were killed in the strike, which they said was carried out in the early hours of Sunday.

They also reported that Lanmò San Jou, whose real name is Wilson Joseph, was not at the property at the time of the attack.

Haitian PM Vows Continued Cooperation

Posting on X on Tuesday, Fils-Aimé thanked the Salvadorean military's commitment "in the fight against gangs" and said the two nations would keep working together, along with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), to "regain control of the territory and restore state authority".

"THE GANGS WILL GET NO SLEEP!" he added.

While he did not provide any further details about the joint operation or the number of casualties, Fils-Aimé posted a still from the video shared by Bukele showing a helicopter firing a projectile at the compound.

The BBC has not been able to verify the video posted by Bukele, nor whether the property is indeed the headquarters of the 400 Mawozo, Haiti's largest criminal gang, which is infamous for carrying out kidnappings for ransom.

Image caption: Salvadorean troops have become a regular sight in Port-au-Prince

Attack Followed Appeal on X

The attack on the alleged gang headquarters seemingly came after a user on X had urged Bukele to attack the complex.

"Where is that house? Give us the exact address, and we'll destroy it," the Salvadorean president replied to the post, which has now been taken down, apparently for violating X's rules.

Bukele has threatened Haitian gangs before.

Following the kidnapping of four Salvadorean air force technicians on 18 October, he addressed "the gang leaders and gang members holding our four compatriots hostage in Haiti" directly.

"We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too," he wrote in Creole, referring to his crackdown on gang violence in his own country.

The four abducted Salvadoreans were working as part of the GSF, made up of troops from several nations.

Concerns Over Troop Deployment

Bukele's decision to send thousands of additional troops to Haiti since their abduction has raised concerns with critics who say they are not all working within the command structure of the GSF.

It has also raised questions about the operational legitimacy and legality of their actions in the Caribbean nation.

Amnesty International has urged both countries to "ensure all operations conducted by Salvadorean forces in Haiti comply with international human rights law".

Related topics

• El Salvador
• Haiti

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