France Grapples With ‘Mexicanized’ Narco-Enclaves

A deadly shootout on Nov. 1 in the once-peaceful French town of Poitiers, historically known for its medieval churches, resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy, shot in the head, left the nation shocked. But the gunfight, which involved hundreds of people, is just the latest in a wave of drug-related crimes that have transformed cities like Poitiers, Rennes and Marseille into battlegrounds, where even children are caught in the crossfire—shot, stabbed, and burned alive. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned that the emergence of “narco-enclaves” poses a serious threat to the country. Jean-Pierre Colombies, a former police commander with 34 years of experience in the criminal and narcotics brigades of the SRPJ in Marseille, told The Epoch Times that the police presence in neighborhoods has steadily diminished over time, allowing such gangs to flourish, spreading their influence across urban and rural areas....