SUMMARY

The Yoda clan was a criminal organization based in Marseille, France, involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. The organization took its name from graffiti of the Star Wars character painted on the wall of its drug distribution point in the Cité la Paternelle.

Driven by control over drug markets, territorial dominance, and criminal profit, the Yoda clan operated primarily in the northern neighborhoods of Marseille, France and was based in the Cité la Paternelle, one of the main drug trafficking areas in the city.

The organization recruited extensively among young people of predominantly Franco-Moroccan origin, with some members and perpetrators of violence reported to be teenagers. Recruitment and the coordination of operations were conducted through social media platforms including Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok.

The leader of the Yoda clan was Félix Bingui, a 34-year-old French-Moroccan national known as "The Cat." Bingui was arrested in March 2024 on charges that included the importation of drugs as part of an organized gang, criminal association, and money laundering.

The Yoda clan's main adversary was the DZ Mafia, with whom it engaged in a prolonged and deadly territorial conflict over control of drug markets in Marseille, France and across the border into Spain.

The Yoda clan has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence.