During an unusual public address on Thursday, Daniel Rogers, the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), revealed a concerning statistic: almost 10% of the agency’s terrorism probes now involve individuals younger than 18. This disturbing pattern is largely attributed to the influence of online radicalization.

Rogers highlighted that, since 2014, Canada has experienced nearly two dozen violent extremist incidents, resulting in 29 fatalities and over 60 injuries.

He expressed his alarm over the fact that nearly one in ten terrorism cases investigated by CSIS involves at least one minor as a “subject of investigation.”

In a recent incident this August, authorities in Montreal apprehended a young person accused of plotting an attack in support of the terrorist organization Daesh, as reported by Rogers.

In a rare public statement, national security and intelligence advisor Dan Rogers discussed these grave issues on Thursday. (Reuters/Blair Gable/File Photo)

Just a few months prior, a 15-year-old from the Edmonton area faced charges related to terrorism. This followed concerns from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that the teen might engage in severe violence linked to COM/764, an international violent online network notorious for exploiting minors through easily accessible digital platforms.

Rogers also noted two 15-year-olds were arrested in Ottawa for allegedly conspiring to conduct a mass casualty attack targeting the Jewish community in Canada’s capital in late 2023 and early 2024.

“Clearly, radicalized youth can cause the same harms as radicalized adults, but the societal supports for youth may help us catch radicalization early and prevent it,” Rogers said. “These tragic numbers would have been higher if not for disruptive actions taken by CSIS and our law enforcement partners.”

Multiple attacks over the last year were intercepted by Canadian authorities, officials said. (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)

The CSIS joined the RCMP and intelligence partners from the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in releasing a joint public report in December, highlighting the evolving issue of young people and violent extremism. 

The report provides advice to parents, guardians and others with information to help them identify early concerns and address youth radicalization before it’s too late. 

“Since 2022, CSIS has been involved in the disruption of no fewer than 24 violent extremist actions, each resulting in arrests or terrorism peace bond charges,” Rogers said. “In 2024, CSIS played an integral role in the disruption of two Daesh-inspired plots. 

“In one case, a father and son were allegedly in the advanced stages of planning an attack in the Toronto area. In another, an individual was arrested before allegedly attempting to illegally enter the United States to attack members of the Jewish community in New York. In these examples, and in many others I can’t discuss publicly, our counter-terrorism teams have partnered with law enforcement and saved lives.”

Canadian officials said they also blocked potentially ‘lethal threats’ by Iran. (Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency)

He attributed the radicalization to “eroding social cohesion, increasing polarization and significant global events,” which he said “provide fertile ground for radicalization.”

“Many who turn to violence radicalize exclusively online, often without direction from others,” Rogers said. “They use technology to do so secretly and anonymously, seriously challenging the ability of our investigators to keep pace and to identify and prevent acts of violence.”

Rogers also noted the CSIS collects intelligence and defends against transnational repression, previously focusing on transnational repression by the People’s Republic of China, India and others. 

“In particularly alarming cases over the last year, we’ve had to reprioritize our operations to counter the actions of Iranian intelligence services and their proxies who have targeted individuals they perceive as threats to their regime,” he said. “In more than one case, this involved detecting, investigating and disrupting potentially lethal threats against individuals in Canada.”