Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, is fed up with drug trafficking

«This has to stop». The tone is firm and the vision enlightened when Jean-Noël Barrot, currently on a trip to Colombia, reveals « its global offensive against drugs».», as the far-right Sunday newspaper headlines.

«Drug trafficking and the organized crime that accompanies it are scourges that affect many countries, including France. All of the Republic's territories are now concerned.», he declared, emphasizing this national challenge. According to a parliamentary report, drug trafficking is responsible for 80 to 90% of violent crimes - murders and - attempted murders - while 10,000 hospitalizations per year are directly linked to drug use.

The French government's strategy is based on a new law adopted in June 2025, which created a interdepartmental unit and a prosecutor's office specializing in the fight against organized crime, But the Minister insists on the need to tackle drug trafficking at its source through international cooperation.

Strengthening regional partnerships

Mr Barrot is currently on a tour of France. Latin America and the Caribbean, where most of the cocaine consumed in France comes from. He visited Mexico, where he signed a customs cooperation framework agreement, and Colombia, where 70% of the world's cocaine is produced. He assessed the results of collaboration with Colombian authorities, notably the navy, and strengthened France's operational capabilities.

«We are determined to fight all types of trafficking, not just drug trafficking, which poses public health problems for our country, but also security problems for the French people.», Mr. Barrot told AFP from Puerto Antioquia, a Caribbean port in the grip of the Clan del Golfo cartel.

He also explained that the traffickers have extended their activities to Europe, sometimes setting up laboratories in France. The French approach combines diplomatic pressure and financial penalties, targeting the assets of cartel bosses and restricting their access to European markets.

A regional academy to fight organized crime

One of the central elements of the plan is the creation of a regional academy for the fight against organized crime, scheduled to open in 2026 in the Dominican Republic. The academy will train 250 investigators, magistrates, customs officers and financial analysts each year from partner countries. Cooperation with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru is particularly highlighted, with the aim of redirecting local economies away from coca cultivation towards legal alternatives.

Mr Barrot also unveiled plans to doubling development aid, 400 million, earmarked for projects to combat money laundering and secure the region's transport infrastructure. «It's much cheaper to tackle the causes of drug trafficking than its consequences».», he declared.

France is also actively pursuing the conclusion of’extradition agreements, These include a new treaty with Colombia for the prosecution of cross-border drug traffickers. Over the coming year, Mr Barrot intends to sign twelve additional agreements with priority countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, covering defense, justice and customs cooperation.

While acknowledging US military operations against cartels, Mr. Barrot expressed his concern on extraterritorial strikes.

«We have followed with concern the strikes carried out by the United States in international waters, which circumvent international law and the law of the sea.», he declared. However, France is prepared to deploy military resources in coordination with local authorities to intercept drug trafficking vessels, as demonstrated by recent operations off the coast of France. Madeira.

The Minister underlined the growing complexity of drug routes, which cross regions such as the Gulf of Guinea, North Africa and the Balkans before reaching Europe. France is in the vanguard of a new continental coalition to meet these challenges, through diplomacy, law enforcement and development aid.

«The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers that its role is essential to protect citizens at home and abroad».»,concluded Mr Barrot. «We're going beyond symbolic gestures to move towards diplomacy focused on results and impact.»

Results that 50 years of war on drugs have still not achieved. Recently, the Colombian president urged the American president to legalize cannabis if he really wanted to tackle the causes of traffic.