Mayor threatened with bullets in organized crime retaliation
Alès mayor threatened with bullets by DZ Mafia in apparent retaliation for drug enforcement.
Event / Security
Alès Mayor Threat Investigation
French right-wing mayor Christophe Rivenq receives threatening letter with bullets from DZ Mafia criminal organization at his home, attributed to municipal police anti-drug operations. Prosecutors open investigation into threats and intimidation.
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2026-08-15 to 2026-11-12 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 17 Jul, 11:32 UTC
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What happened
Mayor of Alès receives threatening letter with two 9mm bullets from DZ Mafia
Christophe Rivenq, the right-wing mayor of Alès in the Gard department, received a threatening letter at his home containing two 9mm bullets signed by the criminal group DZ Mafia. Threatening tags were also found painted on the walls of his property. His wife discovered the letter in their mailbox on the evening of July 16. Rivenq stated he had never received threats of this magnitude.
18-year-old killed by gunfire in Alès drug-trafficked neighborhood in June 2026
An 18-year-old man was killed by gunfire in the Près-Saint-Jean neighborhood of Alès in early June 2026. This neighborhood is afflicted by drug trafficking activity and has experienced an escalation in violent incidents in recent weeks.
DZ Mafia linked to threats motivated by anti-drug enforcement operations
Prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini indicated that the threats against Mayor Rivenq were connected to his municipal police's participation in anti-drug trafficking operations. The prosecutor noted that police efforts against drug trafficking in Alès had yielded significant results, with as many arrests in the first four months of 2026 as in the entire year of 2025, suggesting the mayor's enforcement actions prompted the criminal organization's retaliation.
Investigation opened into threats against Alès mayor for menaces of death and intimidation
Prosecutors opened an investigation into the threats against Mayor Christophe Rivenq, classifying them as menaces of death and intimidation. The investigation was assigned to the Alès police commissariat and placed under joint supervision with the organized crime unit of the Nîmes commissariat to maximize police resources in identifying the perpetrators. Prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini emphasized the seriousness of the threats.
DZ Mafia criminal group expands operations into Alès since summer 2025
The Marseille-based criminal group DZ Mafia has established operations in Alès, a city of 46,000 residents in the Gard department, since summer 2025. The organization is attempting to supplant local drug trafficking networks in the city, similar to its expansion efforts in other regions.
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