French Southern Mayor Evacuated by Police Overnight After Drug Gang Threats
Christophe Rivenq, mayor of Alès in southern France, was removed from his home overnight and placed under police protection after credible intelligence indicated an imminent attack by the DZ Mafia drug gang.
The small town of Alès in southern France has found itself at the forefront of the country's drug wars after its mayor, Christophe Rivenq, was whisked away from his home by the elite RAID police unit in the early hours of Tuesday. He remains under police protection at an undisclosed location. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the decision was based on credible intelligence about an imminent attack by the DZ Mafia, a powerful gang originating from Marseille, about 160 kilometers south of Alès. Reports emerged of a suspicious vehicle parked near Rivenq's home that police believed might have been laden with explosives.
Earlier this month, the mayor found 9mm bullets in his mailbox and threatening graffiti on his walls. In response, Rivenq vowed: "I will not give in to threats or intimidation. We must not give in here or anywhere else, otherwise it will spell the failure of the Republic."
The DZ Mafia, which has evolved from a local Marseille player into a major security threat, has been expanding into Alès, attempting to supplant local drug networks. Violence has followed: in January, a 54-year-old man was killed and another injured near a drug dealing spot; in early June, an 18-year-old was shot dead. Days before that, four young people from the Seine-Saint-Denis area near Paris were targeted by automatic gunfire upon arriving in the town.
France's illicit drug market nearly tripled in value between 2010 and 2023, from €2.3 billion to €6.8 billion. According to expert Yann Bisiou, the DZ Mafia operates as a "brand" with a horizontal network and local franchises rather than a traditional pyramid structure.
Politicians across the spectrum expressed support to Rivenq. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen called for restoring law and order, leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon warned that drug trafficking is establishing itself as a counter-power, and former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal thanked police. The Association of French Mayors urged the state to mobilize all resources against drug trafficking.
Interior Minister Nunez reported dozens of arrests since December, including 11 in Alès, and seizures of sports cars. However, experts caution that such measures only represent "marginal running costs" for the organization and advocate for community policing and targeting core income, such as through legalization of less harmful drugs.
