The RCMP made shocking allegations this week when they accused four men, including Canadian Armed Forces members, of amassing a trove of weapons and explosives as part of a scheme to take over land near Quebec’s capital.
Police called the plot an act of “ideologically motivated violent extremism.”
National security experts say it’s likely the first time that active members of the Canadian military have been charged with terrorism-related offences. The case is also unique due to the sheer scale of weapons and gear seized, and allegations some of the equipment was taken from the military.
This is just the start of what could be a long journey through the courts. But here’s what we know so far about the extremist plot and the men allegedly behind it.
The accused are all relatively young men from Quebec, all with ties to the armed forces or cadets.
Three of the four accused — Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, of Quebec City; Simon Angers-Audet, 24, of Neuville, Que; and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, also of Quebec City — have been charged with the serious offence of facilitating a terrorist activity.
According to court documents, the alleged offence took place in Montreal, Quebec City, Petawawa, Ont., and Rolphton, Ont., between 2021 and 2024.
If convicted, they face up to 14 years in prison.
The three also face a slew of charges related to the firearms, explosives and other gear the RCMP uncovered.
The documents show Lagacé is accused of storing 50 firearms illegally.
Matthew Forbes, 33, of Pont-Rouge, Que., faces charges including possession of firearms, prohibited devices and explosives, and possession of controlled items. He also faces charges related to the Explosives Act and Defence Production Act, which regulates access to military supplies.
The Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal said in a statement Tuesday evening that Forbes and Chabot are serving members — both corporals based at CFB Valcartier.
A colleague of Chabot’s confirmed that he was serving last summer in the Vandoos, also known as the Royal 22nd Regiment. CBC News has agreed to withhold his identity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on Canadian Armed Forces matters.
Military members accused in anti-government plot
The colleague expressed concerns about comments Chabot had made about the federal government and then prime minister Justin Trudeau. He described those comments as “almost treasonous.”
The Canadian Armed Forces said one of the four accused was a former armed forces member, and the other a former civilian instructor with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. It did not provide names.
But a Facebook account belonging to Lagacé is filled with photos of him in military-inspired gear posing with firearms and shows he was a decorated member of the cadet program.
In 2019 he received an award from Jean-Marc Lanthier, then the vice-chief of the defence staff, after he performed CPR on his grandfather, according to a Facebook post.
Lagacé used his social media page to rail against the Liberals’ gun control legislation and posted a photo of a hat that says “make Trudeau a drama teacher again.”
Angers-Audet’s father told La Presse his son left the army during the COVID-19 pandemic and had a stroke after getting a vaccine.
Philippe Audet told the French-language newspaper that his son and friends are being framed.
The quartet is accused of plotting to “forcibly take possession of land” near Quebec’s capital. The plan, according to the RCMP, included building up an “anti-government militia.” Members of the group had allegedly already begun what the police described as “military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises.”
“A variety of firearms, some prohibited, as well as high-capacity magazines and tactical equipment were allegedly used in these activities,” said the RCMP.
On Tuesday, the Mounties released a photo showing seven people taking part in those alleged exercises. They appear to be in a quarry or pit, wearing military-style fatigues.
The RCMP said one the suspects is also accused of running an Instagram account intended to recruit members.
The men had stockpiled a massive trove of weapons and equipment, according to their charge sheets.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Many details remain unknown about their alleged plan, but more will likely be revealed if the case moves to trial.
One of the most eye-popping elements of the story is how much firepower and equipment was seized.
The RCMP executed searches in January of last year, seizing 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, approximately 11,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres and nearly 130 magazines.
The court documents show a CZ Bren 2 MS rifle, a Glock 17 9-mm pistol, military smoke grenades, laser aiming devices and night-vision goggles were part of the haul.
Forbes is also charged with illegally sending a laser-sighting system to someone in Quebec City, France and the United States.
The RCMP said in its news release some of the seized items were military equipment, but wouldn’t confirm if that included weapons.
Jessica Davis, president of Insight Threat Intelligence and a former analyst with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said the seizure is the largest cache of weapons and components in any terrorism incident in Canadian history.
It’s not yet clear what allegedly motivated the suspects.
Other than describing the men as wanting to create an “anti-government militia,” investigators have not commented on their political leanings.
RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Camille Habel did say those who ascribe to ideologically motivated violent extremism often want to form a new society, sometimes through violence.
They’ll often want to “create some kind of chaos” in order to live the way that they want, she said Tuesday.
Habel said the RCMP’s investigation began in the spring of 2023 and determined the alleged activity began in June 2021.
That would coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated lockdowns. At the time, intelligence agencies were warning of the rise in ideologically motivated extremism and how players were leveraging the pandemic to sow hateful narratives and divisive conspiracy theories.
The four men made brief virtual appearances in a Quebec City courthouse Tuesday, where Crown prosecutor Sara Moussa objected to their release.
Their next court date is July 14.
The four have not entered a plea yet and a bail hearing hasn’t been scheduled.
