![À six semaines des élections municipales des 15 et 22 mars, l’Association des maires de France alerte sur le risque d’ingérences de réseaux de narcotrafic. [Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/99824584/61dfe1e993017266b610ecf88abfc2b4cd5485c4bee94f0bbff52049920f88cc)
Overview
- The Association of Mayors of France cautioned that narcotrafficking networks could try to approach or influence candidates six weeks before the 15 and 22 March vote, with no specific threats identified.
- Official 2025 data record nearly 57,000 people implicated for trafficking, an 8% year-over-year increase, alongside more than 300,000 implicated for drug offenses overall.
- A 2024 Senate report found the trade increasingly run by structured French groups capable of violence and operating beyond traditional urban strongholds.
- Local officials say traffickers may target municipal authorities because mayors decide on camera placements, tenant evictions and municipal policing, which can affect protection of local dealing.
- Mayors call for tighter coordination with state services under the June 13, 2025 law that strengthened prefects’ powers, closed dealing points and expanded tools to disrupt networks, as delivery-based sales grow in prominence.