The drug war in Quebec is a violent conflict between the Hells Angels and other street gangs, mainly the Blood Family Mafia. This war between the different criminal organizations brings a lot of violence, such as murders, attempted murders, acts of torture, and arson. It is the most serious public security crisis since the Quebec Biker War that occurred in the ’90s.
“The new ‘teams’ trying to take control of the market have far less respect for human life than their predecessors. There is no more validation happening!” says M. Ferland.
“The inexperienced young criminals want to make a name for themselves quickly and are willing to do anything. It doesn’t matter if it creates collateral damage,” the former police officer continues.
The war mainly started because various street gangs didn’t want to pay the 10% tax to the Hells Angels on the drug market.
Since the beginning of the ’90s, the Hells Angels have been the most powerful outlaw motorcycle gang in Quebec. They made a lot of rules, one of them being the 10% commission rule. If an independent dealer or street gang wants to sell drugs, they must pay 10% to the Hells Angels to operate in their area. Those who don’t want to pay may be threatened, attacked, or even killed.
The Quebec Biker War was a conflict between the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine. These two criminal groups were fighting over the control of the drug market. The war lasted 8 years (1994-2002).
The drug war in Quebec started in 2023 but became more serious in 2024. The first victim was a 64-year-old man. He was shot on April 15, 2025. Luckily, he survived.
On December 16, 2024, Jennifer Morin was found dead in her apartment. Her son was arrested a few weeks later in a case of arms and drug trafficking.
The third victim was a man in his twenties. He was shot several times in the parking lot of a Comfort Inn hotel in Lévis.
The last victim was Étienne Brière, a 62-year-old retired man. He was shot. It was a member of the BFM who no longer lived there who was targeted.
All the victims were attacked by mistake.
On March 17, police were called after projectiles were fired from a moving car on Saint-Leonard Road. According to the authorities, this could be linked to the drug war.
