Salvadoran troops destroy Haiti gang leader's headquarters

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 12 Nov, 01:20 · Archive

Salvadoran troops backed by helicopter gunships destroyed the headquarters of Haiti's 400 Mawozo gang and the home of its leader on Sunday near Port-au-Prince.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced on Tuesday that his troops had destroyed the headquarters of Haiti's 400 Mawozo gang and the home of its leader, Lanmò San Jou, in an operation that took place Sunday near Port-au-Prince. Footage showed at least three military helicopters launching airstrikes against compounds within sprawling complexes, with dozens of people fleeing the area on foot and motorbikes.

The Daily Mail reports that Bukele had crowdsourced the location on social media on 6 November, asking open source intelligence experts to identify San Jou's address. Four days later, Bukele announced the strike, saying 'We kept our promise… We destroyed the house of Lanmò San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang's headquarters.' He added that gang members 'ran away without even trying to fight'.

San Jou is wanted by the FBI for hostage taking and reportedly has a $1 million bounty on his head. The 400 Mawozo gang is described as one of Haiti's most powerful criminal organisations, linked to kidnappings, weapons trafficking and extortion.

The Miami Herald cited anonymous sources as saying 20 people died in the operation. An attack was conducted by a Haitian police task force backed by Salvadoran troops.

Bukele has deployed more than 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers to Haiti since late October, following the disappearance of four Salvadoran troops on 18 October. The deployment has raised concerns over the rules of engagement and coordination with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force combating Haiti's gangs.

Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé praised Bukele on Tuesday for his commitment to tackling the country's gang crisis and restoring state control, saying he saluted 'the commitment of the Salvadoran forces in the fight against gangs'. He also thanked the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, the Haitian National Police, the Haitian Armed Forces and their international partners.

How it is being reported

• El Salvador-backed air assault destroys Haiti gang headquarters amid search for missing troopsHelicopters struck Haiti gang compounds as dozens fled, with Bukele touting the assault amid a search for four missing Salvadoran personnel.Fox News · 12 Nov, 01:04
• Salvador President Bukele crowdsources location of Haitian gang leader's HQ on X - then destroys it in military strikeNayib Bukele asked open source intelligence (OSINT) experts to locate the home of Lanmò San Jou, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, before declaring that Salvadoran forces had struck it.Daily Mail · 11 Nov, 10:48
• Nayib Bukele says Salvadoran troops destroyed gang HQ in HaitiPresident Nayib Bukele said Tuesday that Salvadoran troops deployed to Haiti had destroyed the headquarters of one of the Caribbean nation's most powerful gangs.Bukele has deployed more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti since late October, after four Salvadoran troops went missing in the country.France 24 · 11 Nov, 09:58
• Haiti PM praises Bukele after Salvadoran troops help destroy gang headquartersHaitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime praised Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Tuesday after Salvadoran troops destroyed a suspected gang leader’s home. Bukele’s deployment of more than 2,000 soldiers following four Salvadoran troops’ disappearance has raised concerns over rules of engagement and coordination with a UN-backed force combating Haiti’s gangs.France 24 · 11 Nov, 01:41

In this story: Nayib Bukele · Lanmò San Jou · Alix Didier Fils-Aimé · 400 Mawozo · El Salvador · Haiti · Port-au-Prince

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log