Mayor Aleš was taken to a safe place after threats from the DZ Mafia circle.

Alès – 22 July 2026: The mayor of Alès, Christophe Rivenq, was taken from his home to a safe location during the night of 20 to 21 July. According to the Ministry of the Interior, security authorities received information about a possible imminent act of violence against the local politician. The elite RAID unit carried out this protective measure. Rivenq and his family had already been under increased police protection.

The escalation was triggered by threats discovered near the mayor’s home on 16 July. Intimidating messages appeared on a boundary wall; in addition, two nine-millimetre cartridges and a threatening letter were found. The perpetrators or authors of the message identified themselves as the DZ Mafia or its alleged offshoot, DZ Mafia Nouvelle Generation. Whether this claim is authentic is being clarified as part of the ongoing investigation.

Christophe Rivenq, a member of the conservative Les Républicains party, has led Alès in the Gard department for many years. The city, with around 40,000 inhabitants, is suffering from increasing drug trafficking. Authorities and judicial bodies consider the region between Marseille, Nîmes, Avignon and Sète to be an area where criminal networks compete for sales markets and distribution points. However, the threat against the mayor takes the case beyond the usual drug-related violence.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that this crime was directed not only against Rivenq personally, but also against all officials who oppose drug trafficking. The government ordered additional protective measures. The mayor also received political support from the Senate and representatives of various parties. According to the authorities, the immediate danger justified the nighttime evacuation.

On 21 July, the National Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organised Crime, Pnaco, took over the case. This body only began operating on 5 January 2026. It was created under the law of 13 June 2025 to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and is responsible for particularly complex cases involving organised crime. The involvement of the prosecutor’s office underlines that the judiciary is examining a possible interregional connection.

For investigators, it remains crucial to identify those responsible for the specific threats and to convincingly prove any possible link to existing criminal structures. In public discussions, the name DZ Mafia is often used as a generic term for a network originating in Marseille. However, security authorities note that such names may also be used by imitators or rival groups.

The case in Alès therefore primarily demonstrates an institutional challenge: local politicians stand at the intersection of local prevention, police work and justice. When a mayor is threatened because of his actions against drug trafficking, this concerns more than just his personal safety. It also affects the ability of local government to act and the state’s determination not to leave public spaces to criminal groups.