France Launches Major Anti-Drug Trafficking Plan Focusing on Ports and Airports

On February 1, 2026, Naïma Moutchou, French Minister for Overseas Territories, announced a comprehensive government strategy to combat drug trafficking, with special emphasis on securing ports and airports. Speaking on the program 'Questions Politiques,' Moutchou declared, "It will cost what it costs," signaling that financial constraints will not hinder the initiative. She assured that the government is prioritizing this effort and will disclose specific budget details once available.

The plan includes increasing human resources dedicated to monitoring and securing key entry points such as ports and airports. Additionally, new measures will be introduced to raise fixed penalties, combat money laundering, and tackle the circulation of weapons within overseas territories—issues Moutchou identified as significant challenges.

President Emmanuel Macron has been a driving force behind this intensified response, particularly regarding the Caribbean Antilles region, where he has pressured authorities to mobilize more robustly against narcotrafficking. Macron intends to visit the Antilles after the municipal elections to reinforce this commitment. Moutchou highlighted that prior drug trafficking efforts were lacking structure but that the issue is now firmly integrated into the President’s roadmap, evidenced by two high-level meetings held with him on the matter.

In a related development, Moutchou criticized Capgemini, a company connected to services provided to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling their past lack of transparency "unacceptable" and demanding openness about their contracts. Capgemini has since announced the sale of its controversial subsidiary.

This expanded government strategy marks a decisive shift in France’s anti-drug trafficking approach, focusing resources on strategic points of entry and enhancing legal frameworks to better confront the narcotics threat.