For the first time in forty-three years, during our April trip we encountered the gendarmes just before the monument coming into the Dutch side near Cupecoy. There were four or five armed with guns but they didn't appear to be stopping anyone, or at least, not that we could see. We've encountered them a few times at the roundabout leaving Marigot heading to LaSavane and several times in the OB area, but we were surprised by their new-to-us presence in that particular location.

But as previously stated, it is a French territory and they should be taking the elevated terror levels seriously. In honesty, I couldn't distinguish as to whether they were military or police or a combination of both but they were there near the border in numbers. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />