Nov. 3 (UPI) — The United Nations confirmed it received a letter from a prominent Haitian gang leader requesting international mediation as Salvadoran troops intensify operations against criminal groups in an effort to locate four Salvadoran military personnel who went missing in October.

U.N. Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement Monday that the organization had received a letter bearing the signature of Wilson Joseph, also known as “Lanmò Sanjou,” leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, addressed to Secretary-General António Guterres.

The 400 Mawozo gang operates primarily in Croix-des-Bouquets, a commune northeast of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

Joseph has been on the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions list since December 2023. The council holds him responsible for serious human rights abuses, including killings, kidnappings, sexual violence and the recruitment of children.

U.S. authorities are seeking Joseph for his alleged involvement in the October 2021 kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries, including five children, and have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture.

In its statement, the United Nations clarified that receiving the letter did not mean the organization endorsed its contents, recognized its author or had taken an official position on the request.

In the letter, Joseph called for an international delegation to begin talks aimed at finding a peaceful solution to Haiti’s security crisis. He also expressed concern about a possible escalation of violence following the military deployment ordered by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

The United Nations expressed concern about the impact of violence on Haiti’s population and reiterated the importance of protecting civilians, complying with international law and prioritizing peaceful solutions.

Dujarric also addressed the presence of Salvadoran troops, saying the vast majority of military personnel recently deployed to Haiti are not part of the U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force, or GSF.

As a result, their operations fall outside the mandate and reporting framework of the U.N. Support Office in Haiti, which provides logistical and operational assistance to the international force.

The United Nations emphasized that all security operations, including those conducted by Haitian authorities and their partners, must comply with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

The statement came as a new military offensive began Monday in the Cul-de-Sac Plain, northeast of Port-au-Prince, where Salvadoran troops advanced in armored vehicles toward areas controlled by the Chen Mechan and 400 Mawozo gangs.

El Salvador’s presidential press office shared footage Monday of what it described as a rescue operation in Haiti, following images released by Bukele.

Haiti’s National Police confirmed operations in Carrefour Shada, Croix-des-Missions and Santo 17, supported by the GSF, aimed at dismantling illegal checkpoints, preventing kidnappings and reclaiming territory controlled by armed groups.

The Salvadoran deployment followed the disappearance of four members of the country’s contingent during an ambush Oct. 18. Bukele ordered more than 2,000 troops to Haiti to locate and rescue them.