El Salvador's President crowdsourced the location of a Haitian gang leader's headquarters on social media – and then destroyed it in a military strike.
asserted
President → crowdsource → strike
Nayib Bukele asked open source intelligence (OSINT) experts on X to locate the home of Lanmò San Jou, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, known for kidnappings and extortion, before declaring days later that El Salvadoran forces had struck it.
San Jou is wanted by the FBI for hostage taking and there is a $1million (£750,585) bounty on his head 'for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction' of the crime boss.
On November 6, he wrote: 'Where is that house?
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house → ask → November
Give us the exact address, and we'll destroy it.
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we → give → it
Then on November 10, Mr Bukele said: 'We kept our promise…
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We → say → promise
We destroyed the house of Lanmò San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang's headquarters.
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We → destroy → Jou
'Most of them ran away without even trying to fight.
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Most → run → them
The El Salvadorian president also shared footage of the moment two army helicopters fire missiles at the gang leader's home in Croix-des-Bouquets, near the capital Port-au-Prince, before it is destroyed.
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it → share → capital
People were seen fleeing the area and the Miami Herald cited sources as saying 20 people died.
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people → see → sources
Footage shows the moment Salvadoran military helicopters fire rockets at gang leader Lanmò San Jou's compound in Haiti
Pictured: The moment a rocket strikes the Haitian compound, sending it into a ball of flames
Lanmo San Jou, 33, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, is described as having black hair, brown eyes, weighing 150lb and having a height of between 5ft7 inches and 5ft10 inches.
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Jou → show → inches
Pictured: An FBI wanted poster picturing San Jou
The attack left huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.
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attack → picture → sky
Haiti's prime minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime praised Mr Bukele on Tuesday after the attack.
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Aime → praise → attack
It comes after Mr Bukele deployed more than 2,000 soldiers into Haiti.
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Bukele → come → Haiti
The move, which followed the disappearance of four Salvadoran soldiers, has raised concerns about the contingent's rules of engagement and co-ordination with other security forces, including the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF).
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which → follow → Force
The four soldiers had been working as part of the GSF which is made up of troops from multiple countries, at first led by Chad.
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which → work → Chad
Mr Fils-Aime said: 'I salute the commitment of the Salvadoran forces in the fight against gangs.
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I → say → gangs
'Haiti, El Salvador, GSF: same fight, same determination!' he added.
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he → add → ?
El Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele had asked X users for help in finding the location of the crime boss's home.
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Bukele → ask → home
Open source intelligence experts tracked down his house and shared the location with Mr Bukele online
Mr Bukele said 'most of them (the gang members) ran away without even trying to fight.
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most → track → them
The rocket attack left huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky, with 20 people reportedly killed in the strike
Gang leader Lanmò San Jou, whose real name is Wilson Joseph, was not in the house at the time of the attack, pro-government media in El Salvador reported.
uncertain
media → leave → Salvador
In an FBI wanted poster the Haitian gang leader, 33, is described as having black hair, brown eyes, weighing 150lb and having a height of between 5ft7 inches and 5ft10 inches.
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leader → want → inches
He has 'significant scars across his body' and tattoos including: a skull on his right calf; a snake on his left calf, a knife on his right forearm and a spider web on his right shoulder.
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He → have → shoulder
San Jou, whose aliases also include Lamo Sanjou, Joseph Wilson, is described as having medical issues with his kidneys and he is known to have ties to the Dominican Republic.
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he → include → Republic
San Jou's 400 Mawozo gang is known for kidnappings and extortion.
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gang → know → kidnappings
In 2021, it abducted 16 US missionaries and a Canadian.
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it → abduct → missionaries
Sunday's attack came after a user on X, just days earlier, posted a photograph and claimed it was the gang headquarters, urging Mr Bukele to destroy it.
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it → come → it
Mr Bukele answered at the time: 'Where is this house?
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house → answer → time
Give us the exact address and we will destroy it.
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we → give → it
'
Just days later he announced that 'we fulfilled our promise' after the home was destroyed.
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home → announce → promise
Mr Bukele is known for iron-fisted rule and little tolerance of dissent in El Salvador and likes to call himself the world's 'coolest dictator'.
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Bukele → know → himself
Gang warfare and political chaos have long plagued Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas.
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warfare → plague → Americas
Mr Bukele initially stated the deployment of 2,000 troops aimed at bringing home four Salvadoran GSF soldiers who went missing during an ambush attack on October 18.
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who → state → October
But more recently, he has hinted at a broader goal of eliminating Haiti's powerful gangs, as he did in his own country with a campaign that has raised allegations of human rights abuses.
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that → hint → abuses
Amnesty International on Monday urged both countries to ensure that all operations conducted by Salvadoran forces in Haiti comply with international human rights laws.
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operations → urge → laws
Dominican President Luis Abinader, whose country neighbours Haiti, urged El Salvador and the GSF on Tuesday to 'reach an agreement and coordinate' their actions.
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country → neighbour → actions
He nonetheless offered strong backing to Mr Bukele, telling reporters: 'We support him in all matters of logistics and intelligence, and we will continue to support him for the work they are doing.'
The thousands of Salvadoran troops flown into Haiti since last month have effectively doubled the contingent of foreign soldiers operating there.
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thousands → offer → soldiers
The Caribbean island nation is set to hold elections in July and October next year, marking its first polls in more than a decade.
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nation → set → decade
The Aporia
