Two active-duty soldiers arrested on July 8 in connection with an alleged anti-government plot had no “unescorted access” to military bases or equipment and “have not been performing military duties,” according to the Department of National Defence (DND).
“At any time, should the integrity of a CAF [Canadian Armed Forces] member be called into question, various actions include restricting access to the base, weapons, and individuals’ security clearances in addition to other administrative measures,” the DND said in a statement to The Epoch Times. “The CAF continues to take this matter very seriously, and all options will be pursued and acted upon as appropriate.”
Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, of Quebec City; Simon Angers-Audet, 24, of Neuville, Que; and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, of Quebec City were arrested last week in Quebec City and charged with multiple offences including facilitating terrorist activity. Matthew Forbes, 33, of Pont-Rouge, Que., was charged with possessing prohibited devices and explosives, among other charges.
Forbes was granted bail on July 14, while Angers-Audet, Lagacé, and Chabot remain in custody ahead of bail hearings later this month.The DND confirmed that Chabot and Forbes are active-duty members of the CAF stationed at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, while Angers-Audet was released from service in 2022 as a private. According to DND, Lagacé was never a member of the CAF but did previously serve as a civilian instructor with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets in Beauport, Quebec, between January 2021 and September 2024.
“Of note, the weapons, ammunition, and explosives that were seized as part of the RCMP-led investigation that resulted in the arrests on July 8, 2025, did not originate from the Canadian Armed Forces,” the DND wrote.
According to the DND, Forbes enlisted in the CAF in October 2016 and was deployed to work with the RCMP in providing security at the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Que., in 2018. He also took part in Operation Reassurance in 2019 in which the CAF provided deterrent forces in Latvia and Romania, and in a maritime task force in the Mediterranean Sea.
Chabot and Angers-Audet both joined the CAF as reservists in June 2019 and never deployed.
The RCMP say the four suspects were planning to create an anti-government militia to seize land near Quebec City and engaged in various training exercises, including reconnaissance. An RCMP search in January 2024 in the Quebec City area resulted in police seizing around 11,000 rounds of ammunition, military equipment, 83 firearms and accessories, and 16 explosive devices.
The DND said no further details can be released at this time but that the CAF and military police are working with the RCMP in the ongoing investigation.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
