The total or partial reproduction of an article, without the prior written authorization of Le Monde, is strictly forbidden.
For more information, see our Terms and Conditions.
For all authorization requests, contact syndication@lemonde.fr.https://www.lemonde.fr/en/summer-reads/article/2026/08/02/french-navy-patrols-atlantic-ocean-for-clients-cocaine-loaded-ships-bound-for-europe_6756083_183.html
A thousand feet above the foam-tipped waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the Dauphin helicopter speeds southwest. Moments earlier, on this Thursday in late November 2025, the Sud-Aviation SA-365 helicopter had taken off with a deafening roar from the flight deck of the Tonnerre, one of the three Mistral-class amphibious helicopter carriers in the French Navy’s fleet – 200 meters long and weighing around 20,000 metric tons – sailing halfway between the Cape Verde archipelago and the coast of Mauritania.
In the cabin, the four aviators were tasked with monitoring other vessels crisscrossing this region of the world, at the intersection of commercial routes linking Latin America, West Africa and Europe, an area notorious for drug smuggling. On their screens, countless lights allowed them to keep a close watch on their surroundings.
“I have an AIS at 185 [degrees] at 30 nautical miles,” suddenly reported Master Camille (except for those holding command, military personnel are only allowed to give their rank and first name), seated just behind the pilot. This meant that the ship’s automatic identification system had just indicated a position about 55 kilometers further south. “Let’s go see,” replied