Amine Kessaci under police protection: Drug trafficking puts pressure on France’s local politics

Marseille – 22 July 2026: Marseille deputy mayor Amine Kessaci, who is under strict police protection, says he considers himself a particularly vulnerable target of organised drug trafficking. His statements are receiving renewed attention after Christophe Rivenq, the mayor of Alès in the Gard department, had to be removed from his home during the night of 20 to 21 July. The reason was renewed threats attributed to the criminal network known as the DZ Mafia.

On 16 July, Rivenq had already received two nine-millimetre cartridges and threats at his home. Intimidating graffiti was later also reported. According to several media outlets, the mayor was taken to safety by the elite RAID unit; the GIGN mentioned in the original text was not involved. The case is being investigated by security authorities and the judiciary.

Kessaci, deputy mayor of Marseille since the municipal elections in March 2026, is responsible within the city administration for the Marseille Naval Fire Battalion and civil protection. He became known above all as a committed opponent of drug trafficking. In a recent interview, he describes a way of life marked by permanent protective measures, restricted freedom of movement and concern about attacks on those close to him.

The incident in Alès makes clear that the threat is not limited to Marseille. The city in the southern Cevennes is among the places where security authorities are observing an expansion of trafficking networks. The label DZ Mafia refers less to a hierarchically unified organisation than to an environment of violence-prone actors and branding in the drug trade. This very ambiguity makes investigations and the clear attribution of threats more difficult.

For local elected officials, this creates an institutional problem. Mayors and deputies represent the state directly at the local level: they make decisions on public spaces, prevention, municipal security and cooperation with the police and prefecture. When they are intimidated, the pressure is directed not only at individuals but at the ability of local institutions to act. The broad political solidarity with Rivenq points to this dimension.

Other municipalities are also facing comparable pressures. In Échirolles near Grenoble, the municipality has in recent years pointed to drug-trafficking activity in residential neighbourhoods and the resulting dangers for residents. Mayor Amandine Demore has long called for greater state resources. The cases in Alès, Marseille and Échirolles differ in their specific circumstances, but point to the same trend: criminal networks are seeking to maintain control over territories through the intimidation of public officials as well.

Kessaci’s protected status and Rivenq’s evacuation are therefore more than isolated incidents. They raise the question of whether the police, judiciary and domestic security services can respond sufficiently quickly and visibly when drug trafficking crosses into political intimidation. For the municipalities concerned, it remains crucial that protective measures do not become normalised and that municipal decisions can continue to be made without criminal pressure.