Investigation into the Louvre heist continues
Photo courtesy of Benh/Wikimedia Commons
The Louvre sits in Paris, France, illuminated by lights for visitors in the evening. Usually a beautiful landmark for tourists, questions have now emerged about the museum’s security.
On Oct. 19, 2025, thieves stole part of the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris, which had an estimated value of $102 million. The French crown jewels, housed in the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, consisted of jewelry, crowns, and other regalia belonging to historical French royalty.
According to CNN, the thieves used a truck-mounted ladder to reach a window where they used an angle grinder and blowtorch to enter the gallery. Near the truck, authorities recovered the Crown of Empress Eugénie. According to NPR, the crown, belonging to Napoleon III’s second wife, Eugénie de Montijo, was damaged during the heist. Initial inspection has suggested that some restoration is possible.
According to ABC news, Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre, commented on the museum’s security failings, sharing that “the only camera installed outside the Apollo Gallery was facing west and did not cover the window where the thieves used power tools to break in and exit.” Other museum workers also commented on the structure’s poor conditions, with Louvre General Administrator, Kim Pham, insisting that updates were “absolutely necessary.”
Earlier this year, French President, Emmanuel Macron, announced a renovation plan for the Louvre Museum, including improvements on security measures. Following the heist, Macron urged for an increase in effort in security upgrades. However, others, such as French Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, insist that the security functioned as intended, providing a press release saying “the security measures were effective.”
French Justice Minister, Gérald Darmanin, voiced his concerns for the national image on French Inter radio. He said, “We are able to put a freight elevator in the middle of the street in Paris, to bring people up in a few minutes to recover priceless jewelry, and give a deplorable image of France." Macron echoed the sentiment, sharing on social media that “the theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish.”
The nature and motive of the crime is currently unknown. According to CNN, French senate member Natalie Goulet speculated the heist may have connections to organized crime. Authorities are concerned about the efficiency of the crime, since the thieves completed the entire heist in just seven minutes. One focal point of discussion is the camera facing away from the Apollo Gallery, with BBC News noting the incredulity some senators expressed towards the camera’s angle. The investigation into the heist is being led by prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, with a team of over 100 investigators.
On Oct. 26, authorities arrested two of the suspects, identified through forensic analysis of DNA traces at the scene, one of whom had been preparing to leave the country. Due to France’s strict privacy laws, the suspects have not yet been named. Yale Law professor, James Whitman, shares that “naming suspects in the press is regarded as a violation of the presumption of innocence.”
However, in popular cases such as this, leaks about the investigations are not uncommon. AP News was told by an anonymous source that the suspects currently in custody are two men in their thirties. According to prosecutor Laure Beccuau, more information will likely be released around midweek, seeing as suspects can be held up to four full days before charges are filed. Currently; no information has been disclosed on the progress of the investigation into the whereabouts of the jewels.