France Plans High-Security Prison in Amazon to Combat Drug Trafficking

The French government has revealed plans to construct a new high-security prison in the Amazon jungle of French Guiana, specifically designed to detain drug traffickers and violent criminals. This strategic initiative comes in response to a surge in violent acts connected to drug gangs.

France is taking significant steps to strengthen its fight against organized crime by announcing the construction of a new high-security prison in French Guiana. During a recent visit to the overseas territory, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that the €400 million facility will serve a dual purpose: detaining serious offenders, including drug traffickers and radical Islamists, while also cutting off their connections to criminal networks.

Located in the remote area of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in the Amazon rainforest, the prison is expected to accommodate up to 500 inmates. It will feature a special wing dedicated to housing the most dangerous criminals, as per Darmanin’s statements to Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD). The minister emphasized the facility's role in enforcing an "extremely strict carceral regime" aimed at incapacitating drug traffickers early in the supply chain, thereby disrupting their networks back on the French mainland.

Darmanin's announcement follows a wave of violent incidents attributed to organized crime in France, prompting the government to adopt a crackdown approach. Recent attacks on French prisons have been characterized by the justice minister as "terrorist" actions in reaction to new anti-gang legislation. Such measures include the establishment of a specialized branch within the prosecutors' office to handle organized crime cases, alongside enhanced powers for law enforcement and protections for informants.

The isolated location of the new facility in French Guiana is strategically chosen to prevent incarcerated drug lords from communicating with their networks, a persistent problem within the French jail system. The region has historical significance as it served as the old port to the notorious Devil's Island penal colony, infamous for holding thousands of convicts between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries.

With the rise of violence linked to criminal gangs in recent months, France is intensifying efforts to address the challenges posed by drug trafficking. The planned high-security prison in the Amazon is one of several initiatives aimed at enhancing security and breaking the cycle of violence and crime within the country's prison system.