El Salvador President Bukele crowdsources location of Haitian gang leader's HQ on X - then destroys it in military strike

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. 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? Give us the exact address, and we'll destroy it.'Then on November 10, Mr Bukele said: 'We kept our promise… We destroyed the house of Lanmò San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang's headquarters. 'Most of them ran away without even trying to fight. What cowards!'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. People were seen fleeing the area and the Miami Herald cited sources as saying 20 people died. 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. Pictured: An FBI wanted poster picturing San JouThe attack left huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. Haiti's prime minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime praised Mr Bukele on Tuesday after the attack.It comes after Mr Bukele deployed more than 2,000 soldiers into 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).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. Mr Fils-Aime said: 'I salute the commitment of the Salvadoran forces in the fight against gangs.'Hats off to President Nayib Bukele...for your support and commitment to the national fight against gangs.''Haiti, El Salvador, GSF: same fight, same determination!' he added. El Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele had asked X users for help in finding the location of the crime boss's 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. What cowards!' 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.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.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.On his left arm he has a tattoo of cursive writing and on his chest are stars and cursive writing. 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. San Jou's 400 Mawozo gang is known for kidnappings and extortion. In 2021, it abducted 16 US missionaries and a Canadian.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.Mr Bukele answered at the time: 'Where is this house? Give us the exact address and we will destroy it.'Just days later he announced that 'we fulfilled our promise' after the home was destroyed. 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'.Gang warfare and political chaos have long plagued Haiti, the poorest country in the 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.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.Amnesty International on Monday urged both countries to ensure that all operations conducted by Salvadoran forces in Haiti comply with international human rights 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.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.The Caribbean island nation is set to hold elections in July and October next year, marking its first polls in more than a decade.