Friday October 30, 2026, dozens of soldiers from El Salvador, recently arrived in Haiti, carried out their first patrols in the streets of Port-au-Prince. The Salvadorans, in combat gear and equipped with assault rifles, roamed the streets of the commune of Tabarre, near the Santo area, in the district of Croix-des-Bouquets, where the 4 military technicians of the Gang Supression Force (GSF) fell into an ambush on October 18 and have been missing since, after leaving their burning armored vehicle.

During their journey, the Salvadoran caravan received applause from some passers-by who expressed their approval of the arrival of this expeditionary force. According to versions reported by local media, Salvadoran soldiers established a base in the Tabarre area, near the United States Embassy.

The Salvadoran contingent, which includes members of special forces, is the largest deployed by a single country in Haiti since the end of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which remained in the territory between 2004 and 2017

Salvadoran combat air fleet :

The contingent sent by El Salvador arrived with 7 helicopters. 5 light combat helicopters of the MD 500E type (sometimes listed as MD500/MD530) with a range of between 400 and 500km). These versatile aircraft are mainly used for surveillance, armed support and aerial reconnaissance missions. For this type of anti-gang operation, they can receive :

Side machine guns or in pods : generally 7.62 mm caliber machine guns (M134 Minigun or FN MAG type) or 12.7 mm caliber (.50 BMG), mounted on the sides or on light weapon supports. Baskets of lightweight 70 mm rockets (Hydra 70), on precise support and suppression of ground targets. They are equipped with electro-optical and infrared (FLIR) sensors, night vision and military communications systems to guide special troops on the ground.

Important nuance : while President Nayib Bukele insisted that his troops did not carry any aerial bombs (such as gravity or guided bombs dropped by plane), in order to avoid massive collateral damage in urban areas; on the other hand, the 70 mm rocket baskets are indeed present to ensure precision strikes and close fire support against the fortified positions of the gangs in Port-au-Prince. According to our information, the Salvadoran army's impact power is reserved for two specific scenarios : Psychological deterrence, the simple fact of seeing an MD 500 equipped with rocket baskets flying over an area at low altitude breaks the terrorists' tactical advantage. They are only fired as a last resort, when ground forces (Salvadorian or the Haitian National Police or the GSF) are immobilized by heavy fire coming from a specific building, impossible to silence with small arms.

In addition, miniguns are also present in equipment from El Salvador to Haiti. It is a six-barrel rotary heavy machine gun based on the Gatling firing system, with a phenomenal rate of fire ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute. On these compact helicopters, the minigun is generally mounted on fixed side pods (the pilot aims by orienting the helicopter) or on an articulated support at the side doors to be operated manually by an onboard gunner.

Finally, the Salvadoran forces have 2 tactical transport helicopters : Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk type which provide greater capacities for troop transport, logistical support, resupply and emergency medical evacuations.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48798-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48772-haiti-flash-el-salvador-confirms-the-deployment-of-more-than-2-000-salvadoran-soldiers-to-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48768-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48760-haiti-insecurity-terrorist-leader-lanmo-sanjou-affirms-that-the-4-missing-salvadorans-are-dead.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48746-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48733-haiti-flash-major-military-operation-by-el-salvador-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48731-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48716-haiti-flash-the-president-of-el-salvador-sends-a-message-to-haitian-terrorists-and-threatens-them.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48714-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48701-haiti-flash-the-4-salvadoran-soldiers-from-the-burned-out-armored-vehicle-are-missing.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-48714-haiti-news-zapping.html

SL/ HaitiLibre