Overview:
Some media outlets reported that Haitian police and Salvadoran military forces destroyed a mansion belonging to 400 Mawozo leader Wilson “Lanmò San Jou” Joseph. Others, however, claimed the property was targeted, not destroyed. The operation reportedly occurred early Sunday, but The Haitian Times could not independently verify the conflicting accounts of the damage.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian and Salvadoran forces reportedly struck a mansion linked to Wilson “Lanmò San Jou” Joseph, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, during an operation early Sunday. But media accounts differ on whether the property was destroyed or merely damaged.
The Haitian Times could not independently verify the reports or establish the extent of the damage. Neither Haitian authorities nor Salvadoran forces have publicly confirmed the operation’s outcome as of publication, and no official photographs or videos showing the property’s condition have been released.
The reported strike comes amid intensified security efforts against armed groups in the Cul-de-Sac Plain, where Haitian forces and Salvadoran troops have been involved in operations following the disappearance of four Salvadoran aviation technicians in a gang ambush in Santo on Oct. 18.
The Miami Herald, citing sources familiar with the operation, reported that the property was struck at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday. The sources said Task Force members reportedly operated on the ground while four helicopters provided aerial support. Two helicopters were reportedly operated by the Task Force and two by Salvadoran troops.
According to The Miami Herald, Joseph was not at the property when it was allegedly targeted. They also claimed that several gunmen were inside, but the number of people and whether anyone was killed remain unverified.
Media reports described the mansion as having indoor and outdoor swimming pools and appearing to have been built within the past year. Google Maps imagery shows a smaller house previously occupying the site. It remains unclear whether Joseph owned that earlier property or whether it was seized. The available imagery does not establish who owns the current property or whether the reported operation damaged it.
Bukele had offered to destroy the property
The reported operation followed a Nov. 6 exchange on X in which Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele responded to a post by a user identified as Sophia Fecu Kerry, who urged him to destroy the luxury home allegedly linked to Joseph.
“Where is this house? Give us the exact address, and we will destroy it,” Bukele wrote on Nov. 6.
Several Haitian media outlets, including Vant Bèf Info, Radiographie and Radio Télé Galaxie, reported that the overnight operation destroyed the home. Citing sources they identified as being within the Haitian National Police (PNH), they said drones and other aerial assets were used.
Conflicting accounts prompted questions and criticism on social media, with some users demanding evidence of the reported destruction. Others criticized Haitian authorities for allowing a foreign government to take a leading role in the fight against armed groups.
Images circulated on social media and presented as scenes from the operation also added to the confusion. Some appeared to be AI-generated and showed shattered glass, damaged rooms, detained men and tables covered with weapons and other items, including stacks of cash.
Economist Eddy Labossière criticized what he described as reliance on foreign intervention in a post on X.
“It’s unbelievable to leave it to a foreign president to come and destroy the home of a gang leader, a house he built with money from kidnappings, killings, theft and rape, etc.,” Labossière wrote. “We understand that oligarchs and corrupt politicians are allies of the gangs.”
Operations intensify in Cul-de-Sac Plain
In Cité Soleil, Haitian police, supported by the Prime Minister’s Task Force, carried out operations on Nov. 5 that reportedly killed several gang members in drone strikes, including Viv Ansanm’s Boston gang leader Mathias Saintil.
In a statement issued Nov. 8, the PNH accused Saintil of involvement in killings, massacres of civilians, kidnapping, robbery, rape, sexual violence, destruction of homes and arms trafficking.
“One less gang leader,” Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé wrote on X on Nov. 6. “The fight to free the country from the grip of armed gangs continues with determination. The gangs will not get any sleep.”
Another operation in the Minoterie coastline area on Nov. 7 killed several armed men aboard two boats, local media reported. The men were reportedly tracked after armed groups based in Canaan had attacked the commune of Arcahaïe, about 40 miles north of Port-au-Prince, for several days.
As security operations intensified, several gang members in Croix-des-Bouquets, including Joseph, reportedly fled their bases and sought refuge in Carrefour, an area south of the capital controlled by gang leader Christ-Roi “Krisla” Chéry. That movement has not been independently confirmed.
Haitian police said they would continue working with security forces deployed across the country to pressure armed groups, limit their ability to spread violence and regain control of areas under their influence.
