Trump Backs Bukele’s Haiti Troop Surge as El Salvador Hunts for Four Captives

U.S. President Donald Trump has given Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele the go-ahead to expand military operations in Haiti, where four Salvadoran military personnel remain missing following an ambush by armed gangs, according to Axios.

Bukele contacted Trump on Tuesday to discuss a major troop deployment that has received approval from Haiti’s government.

“Do what you have to do,” Trump told the Salvadoran leader, according to sources briefed on the conversation.

El Salvador announced on Wednesday that it would deploy as many as 2,000 troops to Haiti. Sources cited by Axios said the contingent could eventually double or triple in size.

The deployment comes as Haiti struggles with escalating gang violence that has killed more than 5,700 people this year.

Trump Gives Bukele Approval for Military Expansion

Bukele called Trump on October 27 to ensure Washington would not oppose a significant expansion of Salvadoran military operations in Haiti.

The conversation followed the disappearance of four Salvadoran aviation technicians during an ambush earlier this month.

According to Axios, Trump expressed sympathy over the missing personnel and indicated that Bukele could proceed with the operation.

A White House official confirmed that the president had offered condolences during the call.

Sources familiar with the exchange said Bukele wanted assurances that the United States would not undermine the deployment after it began.

The Salvadoran president reportedly told Trump that he was confident his forces could accomplish their objectives, while acknowledging the operation could become difficult.

El Salvador Deploys Up to 2,000 Troops

El Salvador announced the deployment of as many as 2,000 troops to Haiti on Wednesday.

Salvadoran special forces and military equipment began arriving as the two governments approved a bilateral agreement authorizing the operation.

Sources told Axios the force could ultimately expand to between 4,000 and 6,000 personnel.

That would represent a substantial increase from the initially announced deployment.

Bukele presented the mission as an effort to confront armed gangs rather than a commercial operation.

“We didn’t come to Haiti to make money, because no one is paying us to do it,” he wrote in Haitian Creole on Thursday.

“We came to Haiti to fight against the wicked.”

The operation has received approval from Haiti’s government.

Four Salvadoran Personnel Missing After Gang Ambush

The troop surge follows an October 18 attack involving Salvadoran military personnel in Haiti.

Four aviation technicians were ambushed and remain unaccounted for, according to the Miami Herald.

Bukele issued a public warning to Haitian gang leaders three days later.

He demanded that the four personnel be returned alive and threatened a stronger military response if they were not released.

“We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too,” Bukele wrote.

The fate and whereabouts of the missing personnel remain unclear.

Their recovery has become a central objective of the expanded Salvadoran operation.

Salvadoran Forces Operate Alongside UN-Backed Mission

El Salvador has already participated in the Gang Suppression Force, a United Nations-established initiative operating in Haiti.

The multinational mission is focused on confronting armed groups, particularly in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

However, Axios reported that Bukele’s expanded contingent appears to be operating parallel to the existing force.

The bilateral agreement with Haiti provides an additional framework for Salvadoran military activities.

The arrangement could give Bukele greater operational flexibility than the multinational mission.

The precise command structure and relationship between the Salvadoran deployment and the Gang Suppression Force have not been fully detailed.

Erik Prince’s Security Company Also Operates in Haiti

The expanded Salvadoran deployment comes as private security contractor Erik Prince maintains operations in Haiti.

Prince, the founder of Blackwater, is associated with Vectus Global, a private security company operating in the country.

He has relationships with both Trump and Bukele.

Axios reported that Haiti could become a test of whether Salvadoran military forces and private security contractors can support American regional security objectives without direct U.S. military involvement.

However, the report did not establish that the Salvadoran deployment and Prince’s operations form a unified command.

Both are operating in an environment where the United States has sought to limit its direct role.

U.S. Reportedly Rejected Bukele’s Equipment Requests

Bukele previously proposed that El Salvador take a larger role in restoring security to Haiti on Washington’s behalf.

According to a source familiar with the discussions, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reluctant to pursue that arrangement.

The Salvadoran government also requested American military equipment, including drones and transport aircraft.

Those requests were officially rejected, according to a source cited by Axios.

The report said Colombia could potentially serve as an intermediary for supplying equipment to Salvadoran forces.

That possibility has not been confirmed as an established arrangement.

The Trump administration has not publicly announced a direct military support package for Bukele’s expanded operation.

Haiti Postpones Presidential Elections Amid Violence

The deployment coincides with another setback to Haiti’s political transition.

On Wednesday, the country’s electoral council postponed presidential elections until 2027 because of continuing gang violence.

Haiti has lacked a president since Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021.

Armed groups have expanded their influence during the subsequent political and security crisis.

More than 5,700 people have been killed in gang-related violence this year, according to the figures cited by Axios.

Kidnapping, extortion, arson and sexual violence remain widespread.

The security situation has complicated international efforts to restore political stability and organize elections.

U.S. Lawmaker Calls for Destruction of Haitian Gangs

Republican Representative Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed support for a more aggressive campaign against Haiti’s armed groups.

Mast criticized the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force and its Kenyan-led predecessor as ineffective and expensive.

He argued that previous international operations had failed to improve security despite substantial spending.

“I hope the mission is revenge, retribution and destruction of the gangs,” Mast told Axios.

He said the capture of Salvadoran personnel had given Bukele’s forces a direct motivation to confront the groups responsible.

Mast also argued that the United States should avoid committing additional resources to ineffective operations.

His comments reflect support among some American lawmakers for a security approach led by regional partners rather than U.S. forces.

Bukele Faces Test of His Security Model Abroad

Bukele built his political reputation on a domestic campaign against gangs in El Salvador.

His administration used mass arrests and extensive military deployments to weaken organizations including MS-13.

The campaign sharply reduced reported violence but also drew criticism over mass incarceration and civil liberties.

The operation in Haiti represents an attempt to apply elements of that security approach outside El Salvador.

Unlike his domestic crackdown, however, the Haiti mission involves a separate government, an existing multinational force and armed groups operating in a different political environment.

The expanded deployment also carries risks for Salvadoran personnel and Haitian civilians.

For now, the immediate objectives are to confront Haiti’s gangs and recover the four missing Salvadoran military personnel.

Whether the operation can deliver broader security improvements remains uncertain.