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Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin visited Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy on December 5 and 6. He announced the creation of an autonomous judicial court and the construction of a prison on Saint-Martin, before affirming his determination to step up the fight against drug trafficking.
Although the visit was brief, it was marked by important announcements for Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy. At least in the area that has occupied Gérald Darmanin for just under a year: justice.
On Friday December 5 in Saint-Martin, the Minister of Justice made official the announcements he had made a month earlier in Paris. The aim was to establish a fully-fledged judicial court on Saint-Martin. This is due to come into being by summer 2026, and will be equipped with additional resources in terms of magistrates, court clerks and prison officers. The Minister also announced the appointment of an examining magistrate in September 2026. He will join the sentence enforcement judge, who has been in post since September 2025. Gérald Darmanin hopes that this autonomous court will contribute to "strengthening local justice and providing better support for the reintegration of local prisoners". At the same time, he added, it must be "accompanied by a prison policy that is lacking on Saint-Martin".
During his visit, the Minister recalled that some sixty Saint-Martinois are currently detained in Guadeloupe. This complicates both family visits and the reintegration process. The Keeper of the Seals also confirmed that a 60-place prison, based on the modular prison model, will be built on Saint-Martin. It is intended to accommodate Saint-Martiners on remand or sentenced to less than two years' imprisonment.
Meeting on drug trafficking in Saint-Barth
The day after these announcements, made under the glare of cameras and flashbulbs in the presence of the presidents of Saint-Martin, Louis Mussington, and Saint-Barthélemy, Xavier Lédée, the Minister of Justice visited Saint-Barth. Throughout the morning of Saturday December 6, at the prefecture's delegation offices in Gustavia, he chaired a meeting devoted to the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean basin.
The Garde des Sceaux met with magistrates from the Tribunal de Grande Instance and the Cour d'Appel in Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe), officers from the customs and gendarmerie commands of Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, and the liaison magistrate based at the French embassy in Saint Lucia. We know that drug trafficking pollutes the whole world," the Minister told AFP. It affects the national territory and, in particular, the French Caribbean territories, which are particularly exposed due to their proximity to drug-producing countries. But it also affects gangs and organized crime networks that use the French islands as "rebound" islands, where drugs are stored, negotiated and transshipped. "Faced with this situation, Gérald Darmanin expresses the State's determination to strengthen its resources in the fight against drug trafficking.
To this end, the Minister spoke of the "harassment strategy" developed by the Gendarmerie command, which involves stepping up checks and interventions at "deal points". Gérald Darmanin also intends to "issue a penal policy circular for each of the West Indies islands, so that the public prosecutor knows what priority action to take, particularly against drug trafficking and consumers".
With regard to money laundering linked to drug trafficking, Gérald Darmanin notes the lack of "specialized investigative services" and assures us: "We're going to try to reinforce this, with public finance officers and customs officers. When you're fighting organized crime, you need to follow the money. "Improved regional cooperation is essential in all areas. We still need to work with administrations that are willing to listen," he declared. There is a judicial authority in the countries around us that is willing to help us, but there are also administrations that are a little corrupt or that have no idea that drug trafficking is a very important battle. We have to convince them. "
Gérald Darmanin then held one-on-one discussions with President Lédée, Senator Micheline Jacques and Honorary President Bruno Magras.
