On Friday night, near Edmundston, an altercation at a bar led to the death of 29-year-old Red Devils MC member Tony Lajoie-Israel. The first question that arose when we saw the news break out is; was this incident due in part to the drug war taking place in Quebec? The answer is simply no. Although there are numerous events happening almost weekly in Quebec due to this strife. The death of Lajoie-Israel was the result of a bar room altercation that had taken place on that very fateful night. One could say the man died in a classic and vintage biker scenario.
The incident took place towards midnight on Friday, May 30th, 2025, with the RCMP officers from the Saint-Leonard branch responding to the incident at approximately 11:43pm. The murder had taken place at Keta’s Bar, a humble watering hole located on 2nd Sault Road in the town of Saint-Joseph-de-Madawaska, nearly 10 or so minutes from Edmundston.
Upon the RCMP’s arrival, they found 29-year-old Tony Lajoie-Israel, critically wounded near the parking lot of Keta’s Bar. He later succumbed to his wounds before even being able to fight for his life in the comfort of a hospital bed. Lajoie-Israel was fond of motorcycle culture, being a member of the Red Devils MC, a Hells Angels MC support club that is prevalent on the country’s east side, mostly in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
Tony Lajoie-Israel, from Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, was originally a member of the Darksiders MC located on the northwest of the province until certain members of the motorcycle club were recruited to become members of the Red Devils MC. Lajoie-Israel was one of those members, trading his Darksiders MC patch for a Red Devils MC Moncton cut.
Authorities were hesitant to state to the media how Lajoie-Israel was murdered, they did state how they apprehended the assailants in the following hours. Tony Dufour, 37-years-old, was later arrested in his Edmundston home in the following hours. A few hours later, 36-year-old Bruce Dufour, from Saint-Jacques was arrested by Edmundston police. These were the brotherly duo responsible for Lajoie-Israel’s death.
They appeared in court via video conference a little later after their apprehension and were both charged with second-degree murder. Another court date was set yesterday, on June 2nd with the sequel being booked for June 17th. The judge gave the duo three weeks to find a lawyer. The judge also put out an order banning the brothers from speaking to each other throughout their court process. They are currently detained at the Madawaska Correctional Facility located in Sainte-Hilaire, New Brunswick.
It’s important to note that some parts of New Brunswick speak in French, given the province borders Quebec. A bit like some communities in northeastern Ontario speak the French language. This might be why biker clubs from New Brunswick and clubs from Quebec, mainly Quebec City, get along so well. As proven with the interprovincial drug trafficking ring authorities tackled named Project Oursin (Project Sea Urchin) in 2019.
Project Oursin was an operation launched by the SQ (Quebec Provincial Police) targeting a drug trafficking ring in eastern Quebec and western New Brunswick. 32 suspects had been swept up in the operation, many being affiliated or even members of the Hells Angels MC and the Red Devils MC and one Dark Souls MC member. It resulted in the seizure of 6 kilograms of cocaine, 232 000 methamphetamine tablets, a little north of a half million dollars in cash, 23 firearms and 3 vehicles.
Tony Lajoie-Israel, barely 25-years-old at the time, had partaken in this money making scheme, the SQ deemed him as one of the heads of the drug trafficking ring. Lajoie-Israel eventually pled guilty in the spring of 2022 and was sentenced to a 5 year sentence.
If ‘Project Oursin’ rings bells, it is because we have previously covered the subject matter in an article covering the death of Andre Bourgoin, which occurred in Mont-Joli on the 7th of September, 2024. Bourgoin and his brother, Francis Bourgoin, had also been swept up in Project Oursin. Their roles? Being in charge of the drug trafficking in Mont-Joli.
