Brazilian police said on Sunday they foiled a bomb attack planned to attend the historic concert of Lady Gaga, which drew more than 2 million people to Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach on Saturday.
The civil police in Rio de Janeiro coordinated with the Justice Department, he said the plot was planned by a group that promotes hate speech and teen radicalization, including self-harm and violent content as a form of social belonging.
According to Rio City Hall, 2.1 million people attended concerts of American pop idols.
“The suspect is recruiting participants, including minors, to use simple explosives and Molotov cocktails for a coordinated attack,” the police said in a statement.
Lady Gaga performed at a free concert on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
AP Photos/Silvia Izquierdo
The Justice Department said the recruiters identified themselves as members of Gaga's global fan base, known as the “little monster.”
The operation is based on a report from the Ministry’s Network Operations Laboratory, which found that digital cells encouraged violence by teenagers who use coding language and extremist symbolism after prompts by the Rio de Janeiro State Police Intelligence Agency.
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A man described as the leader of the group was arrested in southern Rio Grande for illegal possession of firearms, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was detained for storing child pornography.
Authorities conducted more than a dozen searches and seizures in Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande Duer and the states of Sao Paulo.
