Christophe Rivenq, the centre-right mayor of the southern French town of Alès, was exfiltrated from his home by the Raid tactical police unit overnight after receiving death threats from the DZ Mafia drug gang. His wife discovered an envelope containing two 9 mm bullets signed by the group, alongside threatening graffiti on the property's walls.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez deployed the CRS84 riot police unit to Alès and confirmed the national organised crime prosecutor has been seized of the case. Alès prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini called the incident "a worrying escalation" in territory blighted by drug trafficking.
Politicians across the spectrum voiced support on Tuesday. Raphaël Glucksmann said targeting the mayor amounted to attacking the Republic itself, while Bruno Retailleau urged national unity against mafia groups. The town has endured a string of shootings linked to the narcotics trade since mid-2025.