RCMP charges CAF members with trying to create 'anti-government militia' and seize land

Three men face a terrorism charge for allegedly planning to create an anti-government militia and seize land in Quebec, according to the RCMP.

In a news release Tuesday morning, the Mounties say the group was involved in an alleged ideologically motivated violent extremism plot "intending to forcibly take possession of land in the Quebec City area" and included active members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Three men — Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, of Quebec City; Simon Angers-Audet, 24, of Neuville; and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, of Quebec City — have been charged with the serious offence of facilitating terrorist activities.

"The three accused were planning to create anti-government militia. To achieve this, they took part in military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises," the RCMP said.

"They also conducted a scouting operation."

A fourth individual, Matthew Forbes, 33, of Pont-Rouge, faces charges including possession of firearms, prohibited devices and explosives, and possession of controlled items.

The Mounties would not confirm which of the men are serving military members. The Canadian Armed Forces did not immediately respond to a request by CBC News for comment.

The RCMP said searches conducted in the Quebec City area, in January 2024, led to the seizure of 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, approximately 11,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, nearly 130 magazines, four pairs of night-vision goggles and military equipment.

The four charged are expected to appear today at the Quebec City courthouse.

The Canadian Armed Forces have been under pressure to better handle soldiers drawn to hateful views and extremism.

A 2022 report from the military's advisory panel on systemic racism and discrimination found the number of Canadian Armed Forces members belonging to extremist groups was on the rise.

Gen. Wayne Eyre, then chief of the defence staff, called the presence of members of extremist groups in the military disturbing.

In 2021, a U.S. judge sentenced former Manitoba army reservist Patrik Mathews to nine years in prison for charges related to what the FBI described as a neo-Nazi plot to instigate a race war in the United States.

A 2020 CBC News investigation of a Canadian Ranger unit uncovered how Erik Myggland, a British Columbia reservist who openly supported two far-right groups, was allowed to continue serving even after he had been identified by military counter-intelligence and interviewed as a potential threat.