Canada under terror threat? Newly unsealed files reveal soldiers spoke of ‘another Waco’ as RCMP uncovered weapons stockpile and plot for armed uprising

Newly unsealed court documents allege that one of the Canadian Armed Forces members charged in a violent extremist plot north of Quebec City spoke openly about orchestrating “another Waco,” a chilling reference to the deadly 1993 siege in Texas that left more than 80 people dead.

The revelations come after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) charged four Quebec men in July with offenses tied to what investigators describe as an anti-government accelerationist group intent on seizing land and defending it by force.

Four men, three terrorism charges

The accused, Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, Simon Angers-Audet, 24, Raphaël Lagacé, 25, and Matthew Forbes, 33, were arrested following a two-year national security investigation.

According to the RCMP, Chabot, Angers-Audet, and Lagacé face charges of facilitating terrorist activity. Forbes has been charged separately with weapons, explosives, and trafficking offenses.

The Canadian Armed Forces confirmed that Chabot and Forbes were active duty soldiers based at CFB Valcartier, while Angers-Audet is a former member and Lagacé served as a civilian instructor with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.

“The Canadian Armed Forces takes these allegations very seriously,” the Department of National Defence said in a statement following the arrests.

Canada’s largest terrorism-linked weapons seizure

Court filings reveal that searches conducted in January 2024 uncovered one of the largest arms stockpiles ever linked to a domestic terrorism case in Canada. Among the items seized:

• 83 firearms and accessories
• 16 improvised explosive devices
• 11,000 rounds of ammunition
• Nearly 130 high-capacity magazines
• Four sets of night-vision goggles
• Military-grade tactical gear

“It’s gonna be another Waco”

The newly released information-to-obtain (ITO) documents paint Chabot as the group’s de facto leader. He is accused of running an Instagram account called hide_n_stalk to recruit like-minded members and spread extremist ideology.

Investigators allege that Chabot appeared on a June 2023 episode of the podcast Modern Canadian Shooter where he spoke of building an armed anti-government community. Transcripts cited in the ITO quote him as saying:

“It’s gonna be another Waco.”

The phrase is widely understood as a reference to the 1993 Waco siege, when US federal agents clashed with the Branch Davidians religious sect in Texas. The standoff ended in fire and gunfire, killing more than 80 people, including at least 20 children.

Authorities argue that Chabot’s invocation of Waco underscores the group’s willingness to resort to lethal violence against government authorities.

Training like soldiers

The RCMP investigation revealed that the men engaged in paramilitary training modeled on Canadian Armed Forces exercises.

Between 2021 and 2023, surveillance teams tracked the suspects conducting drills with long guns, camouflage uniforms, and squad-based maneuvers at wilderness sites in Quebec and Ontario.

At one training camp, an undercover officer observed lessons on ambush tactics and close-quarters killing methods, including “how to cut throats and shoot people in the head,” according to the court documents.

Analysts note that while the group borrowed heavily from military structures, their skill level appeared rudimentary. Still, the volume of weapons combined with extremist ideology raised what the RCMP called “a credible and escalating threat.”

Inside the investigation

The case began in March 2023, when CSIS flagged suspicious social media activity tied to the hide_n_stalk account. RCMP investigators launched Project Supion, deploying aerial surveillance, GPS tracking, and informants to monitor the suspects.

Police later described the four men as the “core leadership” of a small but expanding accelerationist network, part of a loosely organized movement that advocates using chaos and violence to hasten the collapse of government and society.

Chabot, Angers-Audet, and Lagacé have been denied bail and remain in custody. Forbes was released under strict bail conditions, including a GPS monitoring bracelet and restrictions on communication.

A wake-up call for Canada

Experts warn that the case highlights the growing threat of domestic extremism linked to military experience and firearms access.

The RCMP says the investigation remains ongoing, suggesting that other members of the alleged network may still be under surveillance.