Alès mayor Christophe Rivenq exfiltrated by RAID after DZ Mafia 'Nouvelle Génération' threats and suspected car bomb

Escalating threats

On July 16, the wife of Alès mayor Christophe Rivenq found an envelope in their mailbox containing two 9mm bullets. The same day, threatening tags appeared on the fence of their home, including "DZNG" (DZ Mafia Nouvelle Génération), "CVN" (the Cevenne quarter in Alès now controlled by the group), and the insult "FDP". The mayor was informed and the public prosecutor of Alès opened an investigation for death threats and intimidation.

On July 17, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez sent the CRS 84 to Alès and ordered police protection for the elected official. Rivenq initially refused the protection. Then, on the evening of July 20, a new alert arrived: police suspected a car bomb had been placed near the mayor's home. The threat was deemed serious and sourced, according to the minister's entourage.

The exfiltration

During the night of July 20 to 21, the RAID, the French national police's elite intervention unit, evacuated Christophe Rivenq from his home. The operation followed an alert from the DGSI, France's domestic intelligence service, which warned the interior minister that "a project of violent action could be in preparation against the mayor of Alès" and that its execution was "imminent". The existence of the suspected car bomb has not been confirmed at this stage.

It's an act of intimidation of the mayor of Alès, but beyond that, of all those who fight against drug trafficking. And we will not be intimidated.

The minister, speaking at the National Assembly on July 21, promised that "full light will be shed" on the affair. The national anti-organized crime prosecutor's office (PNACO) has taken over the investigation, which was initially handled by the Alès police station and the specialized organized crime unit of the Gard.

DZ Mafia Nouvelle Génération

The "DZNG" signature first appeared on January 17 on tags in Bassens, a northern district of Marseille, according to Le Monde. Since then, this new branch of the DZ Mafia has progressively extended its influence into several cities in southeastern France. Bruno Bartocetti, national secretary for the southern zone of the Unité Force Ouvrière police union, explained that these groups operate as franchises of the DZ Mafia, retaining the name but seeking greater autonomy from the original organization.

The groups that claim this name are in a way franchises of the DZ Mafia, whose name they keep.

The emergence of DZ Mafia Nouvelle Génération reflects a desire for emancipation from the historical channel of the Marseille-based cartel, which is notorious for its violent methods in drug trafficking.

Investigation and response

After the exfiltration, security around municipal buildings in Alès was reinforced, according to the city's communication officer Romain Capelle. The mayor himself did not wish to speak publicly on July 21. The PNACO's seizure of the case centralizes the investigation at the national level, while the JIRS (inter-regional specialized jurisdiction) of Marseille had already taken over from the Alès prosecutor's office.

Mayor's defiance

Before the exfiltration, Christophe Rivenq had told AFP that he had "never received threats of this level". He linked the intimidation to his active fight against drug trafficking: "It shows that the actions we are carrying out against the DZ and drug trafficking are bearing fruit." He insisted he would not be intimidated.

Fear will never exceed my determination.

The mayor, a 60-year-old member of Les Républicains, has been a prominent voice against narcotraffic in the Gard region. The interior minister echoed that resolve, stating that the intimidation targets not just one mayor but all those who combat drug trafficking.