While most of the men charged in an alleged plot to seize part of Quebec have little-known public online presence, one of the accused’s social media shows an intense interest in guns and a proximity to the far-right.
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
Three images provided by the RCMP. Source: RCMP
Canada’s federal law enforcement agency has arrested three former and current military members and one other individual for allegedly plotting to seize part of Quebec by force.
On Tuesday, the RCMP’s National Security – Eastern Region announced charges against four individuals, who were allegedly involved in activities “intending to forcibly take possession of land in the Québec City area.”
The Canadian Anti-Hate Network has identified a Facebook profile with a matching name and picture to one of the accused, Raphaël Lagacé. Content shared on his profile included conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 and objections to Canada’s gun laws.
The pages liked by this profile also include a pro-Trump and anti-Democrat meme page and several anti-feminist and transphobic pages. While the pro-Trump page has pro-Israel content, several of the other pages hold antisemitic memes.
Searches conducted in January 2024 in the Québec City area reportedly led to the seizure of 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, approximately 11,000 rounds of ammunition, nearly 130 magazines, four pairs of night vision goggles and military equipment, according to the RCMP.
The Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) brought charges against Marc-Aurèle Chabot, Simon Angers-Audet, and Raphaël Lagacé for taking “concrete actions to facilitate terrorist activity.”
All three men are facing one count of facilitating terrorism.
“The three accused were planning to create [an] anti-government militia,” the RCMP claimed in a release. “To achieve this, they took part in military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises. They also conducted a scouting operation.
“A variety of firearms, some prohibited, as well as high-capacity magazines and tactical equipment, were allegedly used in these activities.”
A fourth man, Matthew Forbes, is also facing charges including possession of firearms, prohibited devices and explosives, and possession of controlled items.
“Other charges for offences related to possession of prohibited devices, transfer of firearms and ammunition, careless storage of firearms, possession of explosives and possession of controlled items have also been laid in this file.”
According to the Globe and Mail, Chabot is an active duty corporal serving at CFB Valcartier, while Angers-Audet is a former military member. Lagacé is a former Royal Canadian Air Cadets civilian instructor.
The RCMP release on the arrests includes a picture of an Instagram account that shows several individuals dressed in tactical gear. The name of the account is obscured, and law enforcement often will request that social media accounts connected to criminal cases be removed.
Some personal social media accounts for the accused are still active, though they contain little information. The only account with a more extensive online trail is Lagacé’s, whose Facebook account remains public. Spanning back into his childhood, pictures show Lagacé during his time as an Air Cadet and gun enthusiast.
Image of Raphaël Lagacé from Facebook. Source: Facebook
Besides images of family and friends, many of Lagacé’s pictures include him target shooting.
A video also posted by Lagacé three years ago shows him participating in a demonstration of how to move forward tactically with a partner.
Facebook allows account holders to “like” particular subjects or groups, which would include the page’s content in their feed. Lagacé’s Facebook profile shows hundreds of likes, which include meme pages, gun advocacy groups, and in one case La Meute—an Islamophobic protest group previously active in Quebec and Ontario.
Another of the likes references the site 4Chan’s /K/ board. The board is dedicated to firearms and is largely credited as being the origin point of the Boogaloo movement. Others endorse a wide range of far-right conspiracies.
According to charging documents, Lagacé was found with at least 50 firearms and 47 high capacity magazines—Canadian firearm regulations only allow for magazines to hold up to five rounds.
The magazines found by the suspects, according to charging documents, could hold up to 30 rounds. This is the standard capacity of magazines used by the Canadian Armed Forces.
Angers-Audet was charged with illegally storing five weapons, two military smoke grenades, and a military signal flare. He was allegedly in possession of 18 high-capacity magazines.
Picture of Simon Angers-Audet shared on Facebook in April 2016. Source: Facebook
Corporal Forbes is alleged to have been in possession of at least two prohibited firearms, eight high-capacity magazines, and a single smoke grenade. He is listed as the president of a company called Northern Tactical Defence that specializes in selling night vision and thermal vision goggles.
Chabot is also a Corporal and was reported by Le journal de Montréal to be stationed out of CFB Valcartier. Police reported seizing three firearms, five high-capacity magazines, nine smoke grenades, and a laser sighting system.
All four of the accused Quebec men are being held in custody.
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