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On January 7, 2025, we learned from the resource library: Pascal Tribe, a 38-year-old Canadian, pleaded guilty in court on December 13, 2024 to multiple charges, including promoting anti-Semitic hate speech and attempting instructions for 3D printing technology makes weapons. The case focused national attention on the dangers of combining extremist ideology and emerging technologies.
It is reported that Tribe spread hate speech on several social media platforms and attempted to use 3D printing equipment to manufacture illegal weapons at his home. Police seized a 3D printer and weapons accessories from his home. The case not only revealed new trends in extremist activities, but also raised widespread concerns about the misuse of 3D printing technology. Some experts have called on lawmakers to further regulate 3D printing technology to prevent it from becoming a criminal tool.
Case history
Tribe was arrested in June 2024 following an extensive investigation by the RCMP Federal Policing Integrated National Security Team. The action was prompted by a report the Canadian Security Intelligence Service received in November 2023 regarding Tribe’s suspicious activity on Telegram. Telegram is a messaging platform known for its encrypted messaging service.
Law enforcement officials discovered that Tribe was active on a Telegram channel called “GDL Chat 2.0,” known for promoting anti-Semitic and white supremacist ideas. Between March 14 and April 2, 2024, he published a total of 66 messages that investigators described as “racist, anti-Semitic, anti-government, conspiracy and alarmist”. These include his remarks calling the COVID-19 vaccine a “Jewish vaccine,” illustrating the hateful content he is spreading.
A search of Tribe’s home revealed a series of disturbing items, including anti-Semitic propaganda, a document titled “Every Aspect of the COVID Agenda is Jewish,” and a German military uniform from the 1940s. Additionally, 13 3D printers and several firearm parts were discovered, such as FGC-9, AR-15, Tec-22 and Deringer pistol casings. Even if the firearms were not fully assembled and inoperable, possessing the items and sharing the data used to manufacture the firearms was a serious offense.
Tribe has been charged with several crimes, including posting anti-Semitic hate speech via Telegram, possessing and distributing computer data related to 3D printing of firearms, and attempting to use 3D printing technology to manufacture prohibited firearms.
Tribe also faces other charges, including weapons trafficking and possession of a prohibited device. The seriousness of the charges reflects growing concerns about the misuse of 3D printing technology to illegally manufacture weapons.
All parties responded
The case highlights ongoing challenges at the intersection of free speech, new technologies and public safety. While 3D printing has become a key tool in many industries, it has also enabled criminals to create untraceable “ghost guns.” Law enforcement seeks to regulate technology without hindering its legitimate use.
Berne Britt Canada, an organization dedicated to combating anti-Semitism, expressed deep concern over the matter.
“We believe that the sentence imposed on the accused must be exemplary and send a clear message to the accused and his potential accomplices,” said Henry Topas, regional director general of the organization for Quebec, in a declaration submitted to the court. This behavior is unacceptable in our country. “It will never be tolerated.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police expressed support for the proposal, emphasizing that violent speech and threats, whether online or offline, endanger public safety and will be dealt with decisively by law.
Related Case Policies in Canada
Tribe’s case is not an isolated incident. In recent years, Canada has faced an increasingly serious problem with 3D printed weapons. Law enforcement agencies across the country have stepped up their response. In 2023, a nationwide police operation resulted in the seizure of more than 70 3D printed firearms and 440 weapons of various types, highlighting the growing popularity of these untraceable weapons. The same year, an Albertan was sentenced to eight years in prison for selling “ghost guns,” setting an important legal precedent.
In response to this emerging threat, the Canadian government has classified illegally manufactured firearms, including ghost guns, as prohibited weapons and imposed tougher penalties. Law enforcement has made it clear that it is illegal to manufacture, possess, or distribute privately manufactured firearms without a license. However, the popularity of 3D printing technology still poses enormous challenges to the work of law enforcement.
Additionally, law enforcement noted thatLike TelegramEncrypted social media platforms allow extremists to anonymously spread harmful ideas, which also creates new challenges for law enforcement.
Latest developments in the case
Tribe, who remains in custody, will face a sentencing trial on April 7, 2025. His guilty plea could have some impact on the court’s verdict, but many, including Canadian Bernabrit, are calling for a dissuasive penalty. Although Tribe’s actions were stopped, this case demonstrates that the combination of extremist ideology and cutting-edge technology has become a global risk.
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