Police Arrest Suspects in Failed Bomb Attack Targeting Lady Gaga's Brazil Concert: Report
Police in Brazil have arrested two suspects linked to a failed bomb attack targeting Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
The concert, held Saturday night, drew a record-breaking crowd of more than two million fans, making it the largest show of the pop star's career. However, the event was also nearly targeted in a bomb attack plot orchestrated by a group that promoted hate speech and the radicalization of teenagers, particularly targeting children, teens, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
The group allegedly aimed to gain notoriety on social media by recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out synchronized attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails. Police described the planned assault as a "collective challenge."
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, working with the Justice Ministry, confirmed that the operation—dubbed "Operation Fake Monster"—was launched after intelligence officers uncovered online groups advocating violence through coded language and extremist symbols. The suspects reportedly presented themselves as fans of Lady Gaga, using the singer's "Little Monsters" fan community as a cover to lure teenagers into their network.
The main suspect, described as the group's leader, was reportedly arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul on charges of illegal firearm possession. A second suspect, a teenager, was detained in Rio de Janeiro for possessing child pornography. Police executed search warrants across several states, seizing electronic devices and other potential evidence from at least 15 locations. However, no explosives were found during the raids.
Despite the threat, the concert went ahead as planned, with a massive security presence of over 5,000 officers and advanced surveillance measures in place. Lady Gaga and her team said they were only informed of the alleged plot through media reports after the event.
"Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks," her spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lady Gaga's free concert at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, drew an estimated 2.5 million fans, setting a new record for the largest audience ever at a concert by a female artist and surpassing Madonna's previous record of 1.6 million at the same location in 2024.
