Four men, including active members of the Canadian military, have been charged in what officials called an ideologically driven plot to form a militia to oppose the government and seize land in Québec. "To achieve this, they took part in military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement. The group had been under investigation for more than two years, CTV News reports.
In searches in the Québec City area in January 2024, the agency reported seizing 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, about 11,000 rounds of ammunition, almost 130 magazines, four pairs of night vision goggles, and other military equipment. Police said most of the cache was stolen from military bases, per the New York Times. Two of the suspects are active-duty military, and a spokesperson said the other two also are connected to the Canadian forces. Three are charged with taking "concrete actions to facilitate terrorist activity," the statement said. The group also faces various weapons charges. Police said an Instagram account was set up to recruit members.
A co-author of a recent study on right-wing extremism in the military said that people with extremist views who are willing to use violence to enact them often sign up for the training. Others become radicalized later, said professor Amarnath Amarasingam of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. "There's a lot of propaganda that basically says you can join the military, gain weapons experience and then get ready for the eventual race war or anti-government revolution that's about to happen," Amarasingam said, adding that a plan to take over land is common among such groups, per the Times. But this reported weapons stash was unusually large, he said.
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