Shawn Ryan, a former U.S. Navy SEAL turned podcaster, has received a cease and desist letter from Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) regarding an interview he released with a former sniper from Canada’s top counterterrorism unit. The letter claims that the episode contains classified information that could be injurious to Canadian national security and international relations. The Department of National Defence (DND) has confirmed the authenticity of the letter.
Ryan posted the letter on Twitter and stated that he believes the cease and desist is an attempt to silence the former sniper from explaining why he left the command: his refusal to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Despite the letter, the episode is still available on YouTube. In the episode, the former sniper describes the process that led to his dismissal from JTF-2.
The letter also demanded that Episode #48 not be published without CANSOFCOM’s prior review. Ryan complied and pulled the episode, which went over the former sniper’s involvement in a sensitive operation. Ryan stated that he is trying to do what is best for everyone involved and he will not jeopardize any of the operators or compromise the unit as a whole.
Alexander, reached by The Epoch Times, said that nothing in Episode #47 appears to be “OPSEC related”. Ryan said on Twitter that he will let CANSOFCOM review the material but will continue to “push back hard”. He also stated that if CANSOFCOM cannot provide what information needs to be redacted promptly, the episode will go live again unedited, as he has no legal obligation to abide by Canadian law. The CANSOFCOM letter also warned that Ryan may be liable under the National Defence Act, the Criminal Code of Canada, or the Security of Information Act for disclosing the information provided by Alexander.