El Salvador's military build-up in Haiti is approaching 2,500 troops, roughly equivalent to the entire UN-backed anti-gang force before deployment.
Before the October 18 ambush, El Salvador had only 125 employees in Haiti, mostly aviation technicians and medical evacuation teams.
Full breakdown of the layout:
Personnel: Special Forces, Marines, Infantry Company, Search and Rescue Specialists, Logistics and Support Forces. The current limit is reportedly 2,500, with claims of a possible expansion to 6,000.
Helicopters: 5 MD500E light attack helicopters, reportedly armed with 70mm rocket pods, and 2 Black Hawks.
Vehicles: Dozens of armored and tactical vehicles, including Tiger B7 and Plassan Yago 4×4 APCs.
Airlift: American and Colombian C-130 Hercules aircraft and Boeing 747 commercial aircraft carrying troops and equipment.
International support: Germany transferred over 600 tonnes of equipment from Bangladesh for the wider GSF.
The operations are centered around Croix-des-Bouquets, especially Santo, where the 4 Salvadoran soldiers disappeared. The area is controlled by gangs including the 400 Maroz and Chèn Méchan.
Unlike the original El Salvador unit, the new force operates under a separate bilateral arrangement with Haiti and not directly under GSF command.