RCMP Uncovers Domestic Terror Plot with Military Links

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, following a lengthy investigation, deployed an emergency response team to arrest four individuals, accused of terrorism and other offences, on the morning of Tuesday, July 8. Two of the arrested men—Marc-Aurèle Chabot and Matthew Forbes—have been confirmed as serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The other two—Raphaël Lagacé and Simon Angers-Audet—had connections to the CAF. This is not your usual lone-wolf terrorist or hapless group. Here, loathsome ideas mixed with lethal weaponry and multiple bad actors. It is all happening on Canadian soil on the twentieth anniversary of the London 7/7 suicide bombings, which killed fifty-two and injured over 700. The four Islamist suicide bombers responsible for that carnage were radicalized under the radar of British security and law enforcement. The motivation was no doubt different, but the Canadian cell just uncovered also stayed under the radar of Canadian security for too long. As is usual in such cases, we know only the bare bones at this stage. But it is enough to paint a picture of a group motivated by “accelerationist” thinking, linking violent action to the overthrowing of the government. Such thinking involves a crude but identifiable ideology of grievance, rooted in white supremacist thinking. As one US criminal charge, laid in response to an effort in 2024 to attack a Nashville energy facility, put it, accelerationism is a belief that “the existing state of society is irreparable and that the only solution is the destruction and collapse of ‘the system.’”

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This Canadian cell shows all the hallmarks of being inspired by US-style right-wing militia groups, with their embrace of accelerationism, their radical anti-authority pose, and their desire to build followers by offering self-contained base camps, access to weaponry, and military-style training. The cell is also accused of planning to forcibly seize land in the Quebec City area. The group had an Instagram account they used to spread the word about their efforts and recruit new adherents, particularly those with previous weapons training. They had built up a substantial armoury of firearms and ammunition. Some of the details provided by the RCMP about their investigation raise serious questions. One is that it was discovered that some of this group’s activities date back to 2021, but the RCMP investigation began only in the spring of 2023. It was led by an INSET—Integrated National Security Enforcement Team—typically involving representatives from the RCMP, other police forces, and Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The INSET approach is long established in Canada as a counterterrorism tool. It is intended to ensure full resource and information sharing across multiple law enforcement and national security agencies. The INSET usually takes charge in serious counterterrorism investigations. Following the onset of the RCMP investigation in 2023, several months elapsed before the Mounties, supported by the INSET, were able to search and seize a cache of armaments—this took place in January 2024. The weaponry, some allegedly stolen from Canadian Forces bases, included sixteen explosive devices, eighty-three firearms and accessories, some 11,000 rounds of ammunition, nearly 130 weapons magazines, four pairs of night-vision goggles, and other military equipment. That’s a lot of firepower. Another six months elapsed before the arrests were made. There is explaining to be done about this extended timeline. There may well have been very good reasons for it, including ensuring the RCMP had the evidence needed to lay charges. But the longer an investigation runs, the more chances arise for suspects to slip away, for people to go underground, or for action to be triggered. We don’t know the precise nature of the ideology that inspired this terror cell. That may become clear as the court case progresses. But to lay charges for facilitating terrorism requires Crown prosecutors to be able to prove that there was an ideological, religious, or political ideology that drove the group. The evidence to back such charges often comes from social media postings and other intercepted communications. We also don’t know precisely how the terror cell was identified or why knowledge of its existence was not uncovered for as much as two years. Surprisingly, the RCMP spokesperson who answered media questions said there were no further arrests planned at this stage. That’s odd, unless the RCMP really feel they have complete knowledge of the cell and its interactions—which seems unlikely. Better to keep people who might have associated with this cell on edge and fearful of arrest. That, in itself, can produce new leads. The good news is that this cell was taken down without incident. The bad news is that it existed at all (and there may be more of them). It’s another black mark for the CAF and it couldn’t have come at a worse time—just as the CAF, in part to meet North Atlantic Treaty Organization requirements, has embarked on a ramped-up drive to recruit new regular and reserve soldiers to bolster its ranks. They are thousands short of their manpower requirements for both forces. News like this is a real deterrent to the kinds of soldiers that a new-look, technologically adept, high-skilled, diverse military will require. If the picture presented is one of a CAF harbouring young male knuckle draggers with noxious views, nothing could be worse. The CAF must get much better at policing itself if it is to have the trust of Canadians and win the recruits it needs. The other piece of bad news is the suggestion that American-style, radical, anti-authority attitudes are making their way across the border. The US militia model may have an appeal for fringe elements here in Canada. Some serving in the military may be susceptible to the idea of a weaponized group fighting for a far-right cause. We have to make extra sure the model does not take hold among any CAF members, serving or former. Canada, both its military and wider society, should never be hospitable to such thinking. How much we have to thank an authoritarian Donald Trump for this, going back to his aborted January 6 coup attempt and fast-forwarding to today, remains to be seen. Adapted from “Rot in the CAF” by Wesley Wark (Substack). Reprinted with permission of the author.The post RCMP Uncovers Domestic Terror Plot with Military Links first appeared on The Walrus.