Brazil police foil bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in Rio

Authorities in Brazil have reported successfully preventing a potential bomb attack targeting Lady Gaga's recent historic concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The massive event drew an estimated 2.1 million attendees.

According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, working with the Justice Ministry, the planned attack was orchestrated by a group promoting hate speech and the radicalization of teenagers. This group allegedly encouraged self-harm and violent content as a means of gaining social belonging.

Police stated that the suspects were actively recruiting participants, including minors, with the intention of carrying out coordinated attacks using improvised explosive devices and Molotov cocktails.

The Justice Ministry noted that these recruiters identified themselves as members of Lady Gaga's global fanbase, widely known as the "Little Monsters."

The operation that uncovered the plot stemmed from a report by the Justice Ministry's Cyber Operations Lab, following a tip from Rio state police intelligence. Investigators discovered digital cells where violent behavior was encouraged among teenagers using coded language and extremist symbolism.

The police operation led to the arrest of a man in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, identified as the group's leader, on charges related to illegal possession of a firearm. Additionally, a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was detained in connection with storing child pornography. Search and seizure warrants were executed across four different states: Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, and Sao Paulo.