Police in Brazil reported Sunday they had thwarted plans for an attack targeting a free Lady Gaga concert on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach that drew a large crowd of more than 2 million people.
Authorities said two individuals were arrested on suspicion of planning an attack at the Lady Gaga concert, according to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro. The planned targets included members of the LGBTQ+ community, children, and adolescents.
Police stated the suspects attempted to recruit others, including teenagers, to carry out coordinated attacks during the May 3 event. The plot involved using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails, with a goal police said was "gaining notoriety on social media."
In a related development across Brazil, a third person faced terrorism charges following searches at nine addresses. This individual allegedly planned a "satanist ritual by killing a child or a baby" during the concert because they claimed Gaga was a satanist and wanted to "respond in the same way," according to police officer Maria Luiza Machado.
The concert drew an estimated 2.1 million people to Rio's Copacabana beach for Gaga's first performance in Brazil since 2012. Police identified the suspects as part of an online hate group that sought to radicalize young people and promoted hate crimes, self-harm, pedophilia, and violent content.
The group posed as "Little Monsters," the name for Lady Gaga fans, online to recruit participants for the attacks, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Police named their operation to stop the plot "Operation Fake Monster."
Fifteen search and seizure warrants were executed against nine targets. The alleged leader of the group was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm. A teenager connected to the plot was arrested for possession of child pornography. The man charged with terrorism also faced a charge of inducing crime.
Rio de Janeiro Civil Police said two search warrants resulted from coordinated actions with the US Consulate, which had warned Brazilian authorities about potential threats.
A spokesperson for Lady Gaga told CNN Sunday there were no known safety concerns before or during the concert. The spokesperson added that they learned of the alleged threat via media reports and that Lady Gaga's team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the concert planning.
Police conducted their operation "with discretion and precision" to prevent panic among the crowd. Specialized Police Chief Andre Neves stated Sunday that intelligence work is ongoing against such groups, vowing that individuals involved in hate crimes, religiously motivated crimes, or attacks "will respond for their crimes."
