Mayor of Alès Exfiltrated After Threats Linked to DZ Mafia

Overview

• Christophe Rivenq was quietly removed from his home by RAID and placed under police protection Tuesday after receiving threats that included an envelope containing two 9 mm bullets and tags signed 'DZ NG'.
• The Parquet national anticriminalité organisée has opened an inquiry for threats and intimidation of an elected official and investigators are examining an unconfirmed report of a possible car bomb near the mayor's residence.
• A short video of hooded figures claiming to represent the DZ Mafia denied responsibility for the threats but the Pnaco said the clip’s authenticity is unverified and its origin remains under investigation.
• Local and national forces have stepped up anti‑drug operations since summer 2025, with intensified controls, CRS deployment and arrests that prosecutors say yielded about 45 arrests in January and seizures including roughly eight kilos of drugs and two heavy weapons.
• Mayors of mid-sized towns say the incident highlights growing pressure from Marseille-linked networks, strains on local policing and the risk that intimidation will hamper public services and deter elected officials from pursuing anti‑drug measures.