Brazilian police are continuing a sweeping anti-terrorism investigation after foiling a bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga's massive concert on Copacabana Beach, which drew an estimated 2.1 million people on Saturday, May 3.
The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police announced the arrests of two suspects, including a 15-year-old boy, as part of "Operation Fake Monster," which uncovered an extremist online network promoting violence and hate against children, teens, and the LGBTQIA+ community, according to Brazilian news outlet Rede Globo.
On Sunday, May 4, officials confirmed that one suspect—an adult—was taken into custody in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, while the teenager was apprehended in Rio de Janeiro. Authorities said nine additional individuals are under investigation, and at least 15 search warrants have been carried out across the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Mato Grosso, and Rio Grande do Sul.
What We Know About the Online Network
Investigators say the group was operating on Discord, a chat platform popular with teenagers and young adults. According to police, the network had been recruiting minors to participate in a violent "challenge" during the Lady Gaga show, encouraging them to bring homemade Molotov cocktails and plant backpacks rigged with explosives.
The initial tip came through Disque Denúncia, an anonymous crime-reporting hotline, and was corroborated by Civitas, a public security monitoring system operated by Rio's city government. The threat was deemed credible and escalated to the federal government, prompting a coordinated emergency response involving local and national security forces.
Chilling details: explosives, weapons and hate speech
During the raids, police seized computers, cell phones, schematics for making homemade explosives, attack manuals, and graphic materials with violent content, including images of child abuse, from the detained teenager.
One of the suspects, located in Macaé (north of Rio de Janeiro), is accused of terrorism for inciting attacks and claiming that Lady Gaga promoted Satanic rituals. Although he was not arrested, he faces formal charges of terrorism and incitement to commit a crime.
The man arrested in Rio Grande do Sul had an unregistered arsenal at home, but was released after posting bail, prompting criticism from sectors concerned about the risk posed by his alleged involvement in the extremist cell.
The secrecy is maintained and Lady Gaga was not alerted.
According to official sources, the operation was kept completely secret to avoid causing panic among attendees or jeopardizing the show's logistics. Lady Gaga was only informed of the threat after the show, through press reports.
A spokesperson for the artist told the Hollywood Reporter that "there were no known safety concerns before or during the concert."
A latent threat in the digital age
Rio's Civil Police indicated that they are continuing to track down more individuals involved in this group, which, according to authorities, not only intended to attack the concert but also poses a latent threat to other mass events.
So far, no new arrests have been reported this Monday, the 5th, but authorities confirmed that all seized devices will be analyzed to identify further possible connections, both in Brazil and abroad.
