Bukele Claims Salvadoran Military Destroyed Haiti’s 400 Mawozo Gang Headquarters
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele announces military forces have leveled the 400 Mawozo gang headquarters as part of a major offensive to stabilizeize Haiti.
POLICY WIRE — Port-au-Prince, Haiti — President Nayib Bukele announced on Tuesday that Salvadoran military forces have successfully demolished the primary base of operations for 400 Mawozo, one of Haiti’s most notorious criminal organizations.
The operation is part of a broader deployment involving thousands of Salvadoran soldiers sent to Haiti to combat the escalating crisis of gang violence. The 400 Mawozo is recognized as the most influential of the nine major syndicates currently operating within the country.
According to Bukele, the gang maintains its vast influence through a variety of illegal activities, including extortion, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and kidnapping. In a statement posted on the social platform X, the president asserted that the armed forces had “destroyed” the criminal headquarters.
Bukele specifically identified the target as the residence associated with gang leader Lanmo San Jou. Following the strike, the right-wing leader stated, “We have kept our promise.”>
The military intervention has drawn scrutiny from international observers. Amnesty International has noted that both the Haitian and Salvadoran governments must ensure that the presence of Salvadoran personnel strictly adheres to human rights standards during the offensive.
Local leadership is scheduled to travel to El Salvador to coordinate the long-term strategy for the Salvadoran troops stationed in Haiti.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)