By Maria Cheng
OTTAWA, Aug 4 (Reuters) – Marc-Aurèle Chabot, a former active-duty Canadian soldier arrested last July for taking “concrete actions to facilitate terrorist activity,” is no longer a member of the armed forces, according to the Canadian military.
Chabot is believed to be the first active-duty military member charged with terrorist offenses under Canada’s criminal code.
The Canadian Armed Forces said in an email on Tuesday that Chabot, who achieved the rank of corporal, was “no longer a member.” The military said information related to his release “constitutes personal information and is protected under the Privacy Act.”
Chabot’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced in July 2025 they had arrested Chabot and two other men, Raphaël Lagacé and Simon Angers-Audet, for planning to seize land for an anti-government militia near Quebec City.
The RCMP said the men “took part in military-style training, as well as ambush, shooting, survival and navigation exercises.”
A fourth man, Matthew Forbes, who was also a serving member of the military at the time of his arrest, was charged with weapons charges, including possession of firearms, prohibited devices and explosives and transfer of firearms and ammunition, according to the RCMP.
Forbes “remains a member of the Canadian Armed Forces but is not currently performing military duties,” the military said on Tuesday.
Facts surrounding the alleged plot are currently the subject of a publication ban in Canada. The Quebec Superior Court ordered the publication ban in February, according to a copy of the order seen by Reuters.
Reuters has joined a media coalition contesting the ban. A hearing on the request to lift the publication ban is scheduled for September.
(Reporting by Maria Cheng; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Suzanne Goldenberg)
