What we know (so far) about the plot to seize land in Quebec and the military men allegedly behind it

The RCMP made shocking allegations this week erstwhile they accused 4 men, including Canadian Armed Forces members, of amassing a trove of weapons and explosives arsenic portion of a strategy to instrumentality implicit onshore adjacent Quebec's capital.

Police called the crippled an enactment of "ideologically motivated convulsive extremism."

National information experts accidental it's apt the archetypal clip that progressive members of the Canadian subject person been charged with terrorism-related offences. The lawsuit is besides unsocial owed to the sheer standard of weapons and cogwheel seized, and allegations immoderate of the instrumentality was taken from the military.

This is conscionable the commencement of what could beryllium a agelong travel done the courts. But here's what we cognize truthful acold astir the extremist crippled and the men allegedly down it.

Who are the suspects? 

The accused are each comparatively young men from Quebec, each with ties to the equipped forces oregon cadets.

Three of the 4 accused — Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, of Quebec City; Simon Angers-Audet, 24, of Neuville, Que; and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, besides of Quebec City — person been charged with the superior offence of facilitating a violent activity. 

According to tribunal documents, the alleged offence took place in Montreal, Quebec City, Petawawa, Ont., and Rolphton, Ont., between 2021 and 2024.

If convicted, they look up to 14 years successful prison.

The 3 besides look a slew of charges related to the firearms, explosives and different cogwheel the RCMP uncovered.

The documents amusement 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 besides faces charges related to the Explosives Act and Defence Production Act, which regulates entree to subject supplies.

The Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal said successful a connection Tuesday evening that Forbes and Chabot are serving members — some corporals based astatine CFB Valcartier.  

A workfellow of Chabot's confirmed that helium was serving past summertime successful the Vandoos, besides known arsenic the Royal 22nd Regiment. CBC News has agreed to withhold his individuality due to the fact that helium was not authorized to talk publically connected Canadian Armed Forces matters. 

WATCH | Military members charged successful alleged militia plot: 

The workfellow expressed concerns astir comments Chabot had made astir the national authorities and past premier curate Justin Trudeau. He described those comments arsenic "almost treasonous."

The Canadian Armed Forces said 1 of the 4 accused was a erstwhile equipped forces member, and the different a erstwhile civilian teacher with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. It did not supply names. 

But a Facebook relationship belonging to Lagacé is filled with photos of him successful military-inspired cogwheel posing with firearms and shows helium was a decorated subordinate of the cadet program.

In 2019 helium received an grant from Jean-Marc Lanthier, past the vice-chief of the defence staff, aft helium performed CPR connected his grandfather, according to a Facebook post. 

Lagacé utilized his societal media leafage to obstruction against the Liberals' weapon power authorities and posted a photograph of a chapeau that says "make Trudeau a play teacher again."

Angers-Audet's begetter told La Presse his lad near the service during the COVID-19 pandemic and had a changeable aft getting a vaccine.

Philippe Audet told the French-language paper that his lad and friends are being framed. 

What are they accused of planning?

The quartet is accused of plotting to "forcibly instrumentality possession of land" adjacent Quebec's capital. The plan, according to the RCMP, included gathering up an "anti-government militia." Members of the radical had allegedly already begun what the constabulary described arsenic "military-style training, arsenic good arsenic shooting, ambush, endurance and navigation exercises."

"A assortment of firearms, immoderate prohibited, arsenic good arsenic high-capacity magazines and tactical instrumentality were allegedly utilized successful these activities," said the RCMP.

On Tuesday, the Mounties released a photograph showing 7 radical taking portion successful those alleged exercises. They look to beryllium successful a quarry oregon pit, wearing military-style fatigues.

The RCMP said 1 the suspects is besides accused of moving an Instagram relationship intended to enlistee members.

The men had stockpiled a monolithic trove of weapons and equipment, according to their complaint sheets. 

None of the allegations person been tested successful court.

Many details stay chartless astir their alleged plan, but much volition apt beryllium revealed if the lawsuit moves to trial.

What weapons were seized? 

One of the astir eye-popping elements of the communicative is however overmuch firepower and instrumentality was seized.

The RCMP executed searches successful January of past year, seizing 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, astir 11,000 rounds of ammunition of assorted calibres and astir 130 magazines.

The tribunal documents amusement a CZ Bren 2 MS rifle, a Glock 17 9-mm pistol, subject fume grenades, laser aiming devices and night-vision goggles were portion of the haul. 

Forbes is besides charged with illegally sending a laser-sighting strategy to idiosyncratic successful Quebec City, France and the United States.

The RCMP said in its quality merchandise immoderate of the seized items were military equipment, but wouldn't corroborate if that included weapons.

Jessica Davis, president of Insight Threat Intelligence and a erstwhile expert with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said the seizure is the largest cache of weapons and components successful immoderate coercion incidental successful Canadian history.

What was the alleged motivation?

It's not yet wide what allegedly motivated the suspects. 

Other than describing the men arsenic wanting to make an "anti-government militia," investigators person not commented connected their governmental leanings. 

RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Camille Habel did accidental those who ascribe to ideologically motivated convulsive extremism often privation to signifier a caller society, sometimes done violence. 

They'll often privation to "create immoderate benignant of chaos" successful bid to unrecorded the mode that they want, she said Tuesday. 

Habel said the RCMP's investigation began successful the outpouring of 2023 and determined the alleged enactment began successful June 2021.

That would coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic and repeated lockdowns. At the time, quality agencies were informing of the emergence successful ideologically motivated extremism and however players were leveraging the pandemic to sow hateful narratives and divisive conspiracy theories.

What happens next? 

The 4 men made little virtual appearances successful a Quebec City courthouse Tuesday, wherever Crown authoritative Sara Moussa objected to their release.

Their adjacent tribunal day is July 14.

The 4 person not entered a plea yet and a bail proceeding hasn't been scheduled.