Five men arrested in Guadeloupe

Five men, including a 16-year-old minor, have been arrested in Guadeloupe after incidents in which they fired multiple shots at law enforcement officials. The suspects are linked to "two groups of robbers," according to Caroline Calbo, the prosecutor of the Republic of Pointe-à-Pitre, who announced the arrests during a press conference held at the city's court alongside representatives of the police and gendarmerie.

Arrests occurred over three days

The arrests took place between Monday, October 12, and Wednesday, October 14, in two separate cases involving shootings against law enforcement. In the first case, a 44-year-old man was detained on Monday after being interrogated. He is suspected of being part of a group that fired shots at gendarmes on October 3 in Sainte-Anne and at police officers on October 8 in Pointe-à-Pitre.

Suspect charged with multiple offenses

The 44-year-old suspect is under formal investigation for "attempted murder of a public authority official, attempted murder, armed robbery, and possession of category A and B weapons." An AR-15 type assault rifle was seized during his arrest. In the second case, three men in their twenties and the 16-year-old minor were placed under formal investigation and placed in provisional detention for similar charges.

Gendarmes injured during operation

During the night of Saturday to Sunday, in the commune of Abymes—a known site of criminal activity—two gendarmes from the GIGN were injured during an operation aimed at intercepting the gang suspected of robberies. Authorities noted that "a threshold has been crossed" in the violence, with Caroline Calbo stating that such shootings targeting law enforcement had previously been rare.

Reinforcements coming to Guadeloupe

General Christophe Perret, commander of the gendarmerie in Guadeloupe, announced the arrival of "reinforcements likely to be in place by Christmas," including "a dozen people." These reinforcements are described as "intervention experts" from the GIGN or the National Judicial Police Unit. Authorities are concerned about the widespread circulation of weapons in the French Antilles, which have become a preferred transit point between South America, the United States, and Europe.