French authorities have named the two prison officers who were brutally killed in an ambush on a police convoy as the search for their killers continues. Fabrice Moello, a 52-year-old father of two, and Arnaud Garcia, a 35-year-old whose wife is five months pregnant, were shot dead in an attack described as a “slaughter.”
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when the convoy was transporting Mohamed Amra, a 30-year-old suspected drug lord nicknamed “The Fly,” back to his cell from a court appearance in Rouen, Normandy. The ambush took place at a motorway toll booth near Val-de-Reuil, with the attackers using machine guns to carry out the assault.
French Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti released details of the attack, revealing that the assailants fired more than 30 rounds from automatic weapons. Surveillance footage showed the attackers, dressed in black sportswear with hoods up, executing the officers with precision. One of the gang members ensured a victim was dead with a “double tap” shot to the head.
Despite the officers’ efforts to defend themselves, their service pistols were no match for the gang’s firepower. Three additional officers were injured in the attack and remain in intensive care, with one officer suffering a bullet wound to the forehead.
The attack has shocked France and prompted an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of police officers. The assailants and Amra remain at large, with authorities utilizing all available resources to capture them. President Emmanuel Macron and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin have vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime and the need for swift action.
Justice Minister Dupond-Moretti condemned the attack, stating that Moello and Garcia were “slaughtered like dogs by men for whom life means nothing.” He added that the criminals would be punished proportionately to their heinous actions.
As the investigation continues, French authorities are conducting vehicle checks and surveillance in key locations. The public remains on high alert as the manhunt progresses, and the nation mourns the loss of the brave officers who were killed in the line of duty.
