El Salvador Finds ‘Several Human Skulls’ in Haitian Soccer Stadium Liberated from Gangs

President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele announced Thursday that Haitian and Salvadoran forces took control of a soccer stadium in Port-au-Prince that was controlled by deadly gang members for the past two years.

Bukele stated that “several human skulls” were discovered inside the stadium, which will now be used as an operational base to continue advancing deeper into gang-controlled territories in the Haitian capital.

Port-au-Prince’s Stade Sylvio Cator is a 10,000-capacity stadium that gangsters seized control of in February 2024. France 24 pointed out that the situation forced the Haitian national soccer team to play its FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in Curaçao.

On Thursday, President Bukele detailed in a social media post written in Haitian Creole that the joint operation took place as part of the bilateral agreement between the Haitian and Salvadoran governments. It reportedly involved the Haitian National Police (PNH), the Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H), the Task Force private security group serving the Haitian government, and Salvadoran Special Forces — all of whom successfully took control and secured the Stade Sylvio Cator stadium.

Bukele stressed in the message, “We now have the advantage on the ground,” and firmly urged all gang members to “leave the area before the offensive begins.”

“Those who choose to remain and fight our forces will face the consequences,” he warned.

Bukele accompanied the message with footage of the security operation. In the footage, Salvadoran forces are seen walking as locals greet the soldiers and exclaim “Bukele.” Clips of the human skulls that Bukele mentioned were found in the stadium were shown. The footage also shows Salvadoran troops preparing and activating armed robot dogs used during the operation.

The Haitian National Police confirmed in a brief statement that it handed over control of the stadium to the Salvadoran forces. The police force shared aerial images of the captured stadium.

At press time, neither the Salvadoran nor Haitian governments have publicly disclosed additional details of the November 12 security operation. According to Le Nouvelliste, more than twenty armored vehicles and trucks carrying Salvadoran forces were stationed inside the stadium.

“Under the security plan that has been adopted, each actor will play the role assigned to them,” an unnamed source from the Haitian Armed Forces affirmed to Le Nouvelliste. The same source indicated to the Haitian news outlet that the Armed Forces will continue their consolidation efforts in downtown Port-au-Prince.

The joint operation to regain control of the Port-au-Prince soccer stadium occurred just hours after President Bukele revealed that Salvadoran troops attacked and “destroyed” a facility believed to be the headquarters of the deadly Haitian gang 400 Mawozo, led by Wilson Joseph, a man actively wanted by the FBI who also goes by the alias “Lanmò San Jou.” The attack on the gang’s presumptive headquarters followed a request made by Bukele on X (formerly Twitter) for the facility’s exact location.

Over 2,000 Salvadoran troops remain deployed in Haiti since late October after four Salvadoran aircraft technicians, part of the U.N. Security Council-approved Gang Suppression Force (GSF), were ambushed and kidnapped by gang members. The four men remain missing at press time. In response to the disappearance of the four men, President Bukele threatened the Haitian gangs with their “destruction” should the four men not be returned safe.

Over the past days, residents of Port-au-Prince and other Haitian municipalities have taken to the streets of their respective communities to thank President Bukele and the Salvadoran troops that are engaging in operations against the nation’s deadly gangs.

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.