A foiled plot to derail passenger trains between Toronto and New York City led to landmark terrorism convictions in Canada.
Key Facts
- Arrests made
- 22 April 2013
- Suspects
- Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser
- Targeted route
- Maple Leaf (Toronto–New York City)
- Sentences
- Life imprisonment for both defendants
- Convictions date
- 20 March 2015
- Final appeal denied
- 7 August 2025
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Chiheb Esseghaier and Raed Jaser, both permanent residents of Canada, allegedly conspired to attack Via Rail passenger trains, with a railway bridge over Twenty Mile Creek in Jordan, Ontario, identified as the primary target on the Maple Leaf route between Toronto and New York City.
The RCMP arrested both suspects on 22 April 2013. An Ontario Superior Court jury convicted them on nearly all terrorism-related charges on 20 March 2015, and on 23 September 2015 both were sentenced to life imprisonment on six combined terrorism offences.
Subsequent appeals reached the Supreme Court of Canada, which in October 2020 overturned an order for a new trial despite acknowledging juror selection issues. After further appellate proceedings, Jaser's final attempt to appeal was refused on 7 August 2025, concluding all legal proceedings.