Alès mayor Christophe Rivenq exfiltrated by RAID after bullet threat; DZ Mafia video denies responsibility

A letter with bullets and a night-time exfiltration

On Thursday 16 July, Christophe Rivenq, the 60-year-old LR mayor of Alès (Gard, population 46,000), found an envelope in his mailbox containing two 9mm bullets. Tags on the fence of his home read "DZ Mafia nouvelle génération". He was placed under police protection the following day. On the night of Monday 20 to Tuesday 21 July, RAID officers evacuated him from his home after a suspected car bomb was reported nearby. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described a "threat of violent actions" and called the incident an "act of intimidation".

There was a threat of violent actions.

A video denial from masked individuals

On Wednesday 22 July, BFMTV and Le Figaro obtained a video showing six people in black, faces covered, standing before a white sheet marked "DZ Mafia" and an Algerian flag taped to a table. One read a statement: "We firmly condemn this act and we are in no way responsible for this criminal act, which deserves to be condemned in the cruelest and strictest manner." The speaker argued that leaving the group's signature would be like leaving an identity card, and asked what they would gain from threatening a mayor. A source close to the investigation told BFMTV the video was "credible".

We firmly condemn this act and we are in no way responsible for this criminal act, which deserves to be condemned in the cruelest and strictest manner.

Investigators favour a local trail

Despite the DZ Mafia branding, Le Parisien reported on 22 July that investigators are prioritising the trail of local small-time traffickers. A source close to the inquiry said the Marseille-based organisation might not be behind the threats. The investigation for death threats and intimidation was opened by Alès prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini and assigned to the Alès police station and the departmental organised crime unit (DCOS) of Gard. The national anti-organised crime prosecutor's office (PNACO) later took over the case.

"I will not give up": the mayor speaks

Speaking to RTL 24 hours after his evacuation, Rivenq said the situation was "very difficult to live through, not for me, but for my wife and children." He acknowledged that the protection imposed on him was necessary but hoped to return home soon. "I will not give up, even if I refuse to become the spokesperson for the fight against drug trafficking," he said. He added that the actions taken against the DZ Mafia and drug trafficking were "bearing fruit."

This situation is very difficult to live through; not for me, but for my wife and children.

I will not give up, even if I refuse to become the spokesperson for the fight against drug trafficking.

Political unity and institutional alarm

The threats drew reactions from across the political spectrum, from Jean-Luc Mélenchon to Marine Le Pen. Marseille deputy mayor Amine Kessaci, himself under police protection since his brother was killed by drug traffickers in November, called Rivenq to offer support and described the incident as an attack on institutions. "A mafia group is attacking our institutions today. We are in a true war of democracy," he said. The Association of Mayors of France urged the state to "deploy all its forces in the fight" against drug trafficking. In Alès, residents expressed shock. One told RTS under cover of anonymity: "We are surprised, worried, because it seems there are no more limits."

A mafia group is attacking our institutions today. We are in a true war of democracy.

A spreading criminal footprint

The DZ Mafia, originally from Marseille, has been expanding into medium-sized cities in southern France. Former Alès mayor Max Roustan noted that after exhausting Aix and Avignon, dealers are now targeting Nîmes and Alès. On 3 June, an 18-year-old was shot dead in Alès, in a neighbourhood already hit by several shootings since January. The editorial in SudOuest described the state as overwhelmed, with organised crime advancing quickly and its financial firepower considerable. Le Figaro's editorial warned against "capitulation" and called for urgent help for mayors on the front line.