Two of the men were arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in eastern Quebec, and the other two were arrested in Montreal. Two currently serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces are among those charged. This is deeply alarming because of the extremist ideologies infiltrating our military. These arrests come after an investigation that began in March 2023 uncovered the couple’s plans for an anti-government militia.
The suspects, three of whom are in their mid-twenties, allegedly sought to forcibly seize land in the Quebec City area. The private Instagram account promoted their militia and their firearms and acted as a recruiting tool. A fourth person, a man in his early thirties, has been charged with a variety of firearm and explosive offenses.
Across Canada’s northeastern border, in January 2024, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) began searches. They were in the midst of busting an alleged would-be terror plot. Further underscoring the severity of the threat posed by the group, during these searches, law enforcement seized multiple guns including assault-style weapons. The men made their first appearance in a Quebec City courtroom on Tuesday, where they were formally charged with facilitating terrorist activity.
A spokesperson from the department emphasized the seriousness of the allegations: “The Canadian Armed Forces is taking these allegations very seriously and has fully participated in the investigation.” This incident echoes findings from a 2022 government report that noted, “The suspected presence of members of extremist groups within [the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces] is a pressing moral, social and operational issue.”
Corporal Erique Gasse of the RCMP commented on the arrests, stating, “It’s a good thing we caught them when we did.” Officials have yet to divulge information about the ideology that motivated the men or the specific land they sought to take over. Their response is troublingly weak and fails to address serious concerns that domestic extremism is on the rise in Canada.
The report’s findings reinforce the importance of fortifying communities against ideologically motivated violent extremism. Furthermore, it sheds light on the dangers that those with extremist beliefs can bring to public service sectors, like the military.
