Four men, including members of the Canadian military, have been arrested and charged with planning to forcibly seize land near Quebec City in what the police described on Tuesday as an act of “ideologically motivated violent extremism.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said three of the men “took concrete actions to facilitate terrorist activity” and face terrorism charges. The authorities said they seized a large stockpile of guns, explosives and ammunition from the group.
A fourth man faces a number of firearms and explosives charges.
The four men will appear in court on Tuesday. Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, who both live in Québec City, and Simon Angers-Audet, 24, of Neuville, Quebec, face a charge of “facilitating a terrorist act.” Matthew Forbes, 33, of Pont-Rouge, Quebec, is charged with the explosives and weapons offenses.
The police did not indicate which of the men are members of the armed forces.
The statement from the police offered no information about the group’s ideology or its motive for seizing the land.
Photos released by the Mounties show at least seven people wearing what appear to be Canadian military fatigues and brandishing or firing weapons during what the police described as “military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises.”
The Mounties said that the group also held a “a scouting operation.”
The Canadian Armed Forces did not immediately respond to questions.
But the investigation, which was conducted by a special national security team that includes members of Canada’s intelligence service, prosecutors and other law enforcement agencies, appears to date back more than a year and half.
During raids around Quebec City in January 2024, the police seized 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms, about 11,000 rounds of ammunition, about 130 magazines, four pairs of night vision goggles and other military equipment, the authorities said.
Ian Austen reports on Canada for The Times based in Ottawa. He covers politics, culture and the people of Canada and has reported on the country for two decades. He can be reached at [email protected].
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