United States President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that some of the four Salvadoran aviation technicians missing in Haiti may have been killed, after discussing the situation with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Donald Trump said Nayib Bukele had expressed serious concern about the security situation in Haiti following an attack on Salvadoran personnel. "He had a big problem with Haiti. They killed some of his people," Donald Trump said, according to the reports of his remarks.
No official confirmation of the technicians' deaths has been issued. Donald Trump's comments appeared to indicate that some of the four may have lost their lives, but their fate has not been officially confirmed by either government.
The four Salvadoran air force personnel went missing after a gang ambush near Port-au-Prince on October 18, while serving with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force. El Salvador has since announced it is sending more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti to search for them and combat armed gangs. Nayib Bukele had earlier dismissed reports claiming that bodies recovered in Haiti belonged to the missing personnel, and on Saturday he also denied claims that Salvadoran forces had bombed civilians in Haiti, saying Salvadoran attack helicopters had only arrived on October 29 and had flown no missions.
Asked whether the United States might provide support to El Salvador, Donald Trump dismissed the idea that assistance was necessary, saying Nayib Bukele "doesn't need help" and is "in pretty good shape."
Sources: MENAFN, November 1, 2026; EconoTimes/Anadolu Agency, November 1, 2026.