CNN
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Four Quebec men, including two active members of the Canadian Army, have been arrested and charged with what Canadian police say is a case of “ideologically motivated violent extremism.”
The three men in their mid-20s “were intended to forcefully own the land in the Quebec city area,” and “we had planned to create an anti-government militia,” the Royal Canadian Police (RCMP) said in a statement Tuesday.
“To achieve this, (three men) participated in military style training, filming, ambushing, survival and navigation exercises,” the statement continued. “They also conducted reconnaissance operations. They are said to have been used in various firearms, several bans, and these activities.”
The three were charged with promoting terrorist activities. The fourth individual, in his early 30s, faces numerous firearms and explosives-related charges, police said.
The four appeared in the city of Quebec court on Tuesday, the statement added. CNN is about to contact a legal representative.
During a January 2024 search near Quebec, police say they discovered “16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, about 11,000 rounds of ammunition in various calibers, almost 130 magazines, four pairs of night vision goggles and military equipment.”
RCMP spokesman Erique Gasse Corp told CNN on Tuesday that the investigation began in March 2023.
They used the account to promote military-style training in Quebec and Ontario, Gus added.
Gasse did not elaborate on the fact that certain ideologies allegedly motivated the men, or the location of land near the Quebec police claimed they planned to seize.
“It’s good that we caught them when we did,” Gus said.
The RCMP did not specify which men were members of the Canadian Army. The Pentagon Canada told CNN it is aware of the accusations against “two active members of the Canadian military.”
“The Canadian Army takes these allegations very seriously and is fully involved in the investigation,” a department spokesperson said in an email.
Extremism within Canadian military has been a long-standing problem, and a 2022 government report points out that the country’s military is “not immune to penetration” by members of extremist groups.
“The suspicion of members of extremist groups within the (DOD/Canadian Armed Forces) is a pressing moral, social and operational issue,” the report concluded.
