Strike against the drug war: violent crimes solved across Quebec

The police strike linked to the drug war resulted in charges being filed against around twenty individuals allegedly involved in several violent crimes that occurred over the past year. Around fifteen other people – some of whom were minors – were arrested, interviewed and released without being charged, confirms the Sûreté du Québec.

• Also read: Operation against criminal gangs: 35 arrests and 15 searches across Quebec

Here are the highlights of this police operation, which required the intervention of some 200 police officers across the four corners of Quebec on Wednesday.

Attempted murder in Tremblant

Marc-Antoine Racine, 22, was arrested for attempted murder. The event took place last weekend, in Tremblant, at the foot of the ski slopes. During the night from Friday to Saturday, Racine opened fire on an individual in his thirties, seriously injuring him. The victim survived his injuries.

Despite his young age, Racine has already been convicted of various crimes, including obstructing the work of a peace officer, carrying a weapon for a dangerous purpose, threats, selling cannabis and car theft. For these last two crimes, he was sentenced to prison terms of eight months and one and a half years.

Attempted murder in Chicoutimi

Four men face charges in connection with an attempted murder that occurred on April 9, in Chicoutimi. They then allegedly fired at a vehicle where the victim was. The car was found riddled with bullets.

Hugo Richer-Fournier, 28, from Sorel-Tracy, and Zachary Gagnon, 21, detained at Bordeaux prison, were to appear for this purpose on Thursday. David Boucher-Trottier is also accused in this case, he who is also wanted by the authorities for the kidnapping of Michaël Chouinard, in Saguenay, in February.

Note that Zachary Gagnon was also awaiting several trials, including one for another attempted murder, which occurred on April 15, in the Bay. In this case, the victim had nothing to do with the drug war, the Sûreté du Québec then revealed.

An HA prospect arrested

René Boisvert, an individual considered a “prospect” of the Hells Angels by police authorities, was to appear Thursday in Trois-Rivières in connection with offenses related to improper storage and possession of a firearm.

The 44-year-old man was arrested while he was on the road, confirms the Sûreté du Québec. A search had previously taken place at his home in Trois-Rivières, which led to the seizure of a long weapon and money.

Kidnapping and sequestration in Chibougamau

Vincent Rivard-Marcoux, 29, faces around ten charges in connection with the kidnapping of a man in Chibougamau, in July 2023. He is accused in particular of kidnapping, kidnapping with a firearm, of aggravated assault and possession of firearms. He also allegedly pointed a gun at two other individuals whom he kidnapped on the same day.

Rivard-Marcoux was scheduled to appear by videoconference from the Quebec Detention Facility on Thursday. This is because he is currently incarcerated for possession of a prohibited and loaded firearm as well as assault with injury, charges for which he was found guilty last summer.

A network linked to the Hells dismantled in Rimouski

Five men aged 24 to 50 were arrested in Bas-Saint-Laurent, in connection with a cocaine drug trafficking network linked to the Hells Angels.

Christian Charest-Lechasseur, 24, Donald Goupil, 50, Martin Poitras, 50, Ghislain Lepage, 44, and Frédéric Bourgault, 30, face charges of drug trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The alleged acts allegedly took place between October 28, 2023 and May 15, 2024, in Mont-Joli, Rimouski and Trois-Pistoles.

The den of a school club burned down

Two young men are accused of setting fire last November in a garage located on Lévis Street, in Alma, reputed to be the premises of a Hells Angels school club.

Sébastien Larivière, 21, and Nicolas Lanctôt, 23, appeared on Wednesday in this case.

They are also accused, with their alleged accomplice Frédérick Defond-Côté, 22, of having caused arson for the benefit of or under the direction of a criminal organization. The fires occurred between October 20 and November 5 in Alma and Saint-David-de-Falardeau.

Larivière and Defond-Côté are also accused of setting fire to two vehicles on October 21.

Gunshots in Sept-Îles

Three young men were charged in connection with shots fired at a home in Sept-Îles, on the North Shore, on April 23. The shootings were allegedly made with a prohibited and loaded weapon, while the trio was in a vehicle.

Two elderly men were in the house. They had not been injured. Authorities believed at the time that the house had likely been targeted by mistake.

Among the accused, we find Amir Boudiaf, 23, from Montreal, who was notably sentenced in December 2022 to nine months of detention for having committed fraud against around fifteen seniors in several cities in Quebec.

Jérémy Chiasson, 21, is also in the mix. Affiliated with the BFM, he was arrested in Sept-Îles last September and accused of drug trafficking. He was due to return to court in January in this case.