During his visit on Friday, May 15 to the site of the deadly shooting that occurred in Nantes, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez spoke out and assured that this event strengthened “his determination in the fight against drug trafficking.”
The day after the deadly shooting that claimed the life of a 15-year-old teenager in Nantes, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez visited the Port-Boyer neighborhood, the scene of the tragedy, on Friday, May 15. The shots, which also injured two people, reportedly erupted due to a settling of scores related to drug trafficking, according to the prosecutor of Nantes.
“This event only reinforces the determination that I have, and that of the government, to continue this relentless fight against drug trafficking, which leads to tragedies. We’ve seen it here, we’ve seen it in Nice a few days ago (where two people were killed in a shooting on Monday). When you destabilize territories, you create turf wars,” he declared as he exited building number three in the neighborhood, while no arrests had been made at this point, according to BFMTV.
“All these events only reinforce our determination in this war against drug trafficking. We owe it to the residents who can’t take this trafficking anymore,” he added.
“The Means to Continue this Relentless War”
The shooting on Thursday, May 14, during which “two individuals came to open fire on a group of young teenagers,” is the 26th episode of shootings recorded in the city since the beginning of 2026, as stated by Johanna Rolland, Mayor of Nantes, on Thursday, May 15. A situation “unbearable” for the Interior Minister, who “strengthened the law enforcement forces’ presence” in the area.
The former Prefect of Police of Paris also announced the implementation of an “investigation plan,” “approved by the Prime Minister,” which includes the recruitment of “700 additional police officers,” with “300 dedicated to organized crime only.” An Office anti-stupéfiants (OFAST) branch will also be established in Nantes soon, where drug-related charges have increased by 36% last year.
“Judicial investigations will continue everywhere on the territory. Everywhere, we will continue to dismantle networks […]. We are providing additional resources. We will continue this relentless war,” he emphasized.
In addition to these direct and local measures, Laurent Nuñez ensures that “it is not over.” With the government, he will present his RIPOST bill to the Senate on Monday, May 18, which “also contains a number of measures that will allow us to intensify the fight against organized crime, mainly by strengthening the legal means of investigators.”
“We will not back down. What happened yesterday is very serious, it is unacceptable. There are still many battles to be won, but we will not lose this war against drug trafficking,” he concluded.
