The United States warned Haitian gang leaders Monday that the international community will not tolerate their violent actions and that their ability to operate with impunity is coming to an end.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Haiti, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz condemned the attack that left four Salvadoran soldiers serving with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) missing.
“To the gang bosses terrorizing Haiti, your days of operating with impunity are numbered,” Waltz said, adding that the international force would continue its operations despite tactics such as burning vehicles, erecting barricades and intimidating police and civilians.
The four Salvadoran aviation technicians disappeared after their armored vehicle was attacked with gunfire and explosives Sunday in Croix-des-Bouquets, north of Port-au-Prince. The soldiers escaped the burning vehicle but later lost contact with their colleagues. Multiple attempts to locate them by land and air have been hampered by heavy fighting.
Waltz expressed support for the missing personnel, saying the United States and the GSF would continue efforts to bring them home.
The attack marks the first major assault against the GSF since it began operations and highlights the challenges facing the international force as it works to confront Haiti’s armed gangs.