OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:00 PM – Monday, May 5, 2025
According to Brazilian Civil Police, two men were taken into custody in relation to an alleged planned attack targeting singer Lady Gaga’s free weekend concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Another man was also arrested after being accused of plotting to take part in a “satanic child sacrifice” during the show.
Investigators described the first two detained suspects as a “teenage boy,” who was apprehended in Rio de Janeiro, and an “adult male,” who was arrested in Rio Grande do Sul.
Authorities stated that the two men were preparing to use homemade explosives, such as Molotov cocktails. However, police also noted that no explosives were discovered during their raid.
The suspects’ identities have not been released. However, according to authorities, they are “members of an online network that encourages hate speech,” recruits young people, and calls for violent acts. The group is also known for being supporters of pedophilia and self harm.
Police did not identify what group they were allegedly apart of, though Felipe Cury, the secretary of the Rio police, claimed that authorities believed the suspects were targeting Brazil’s LGBTQ community.
“They [officials] were clearly saying that they were planning an attack at Lady Gaga’s concert motivated by sexual orientation,” Cury told a press conference on Sunday.
Rio Police Chief Luiz Lima said that the group posts hateful and violent online content “aimed at gaining notoriety in order to attract more viewers, more participants — most of them teenagers, many of them children.”
The adult was arrested on charges of illegal weapons possession, while the teenager faces charges related to possession of child sex abuse material. It is unclear what role the teenage boy played in the attack plot, but Brazilian authorities did say that the group had planned to use improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails to target concert attendees during the show.
Meanwhile, a third separate individual who had intended to perform a “satanist ritual by killing a child or a baby” at the Gaga concert was also charged with terrorism offenses by Brazilian police in a separate development, according to CNN.
“Fifteen search and seizure warrants were served against nine targets across Brazil, according to police. One of those searched was the man who allegedly planned on killing a child or a baby during the concert, as he claimed that Gaga was a satanist and he wanted to ‘respond in the same way,’ according to police officer Maria Luiza Machado. He was charged with terrorism and inducing crime,” the outlet continued.
The Brazilian Justice Ministry, Federal Police, and digital intelligence services collaborated on the arrests as part of a joint investigation called “Operation Fake Monsters,” referencing how Lady Gaga’s fans call themselves “little monsters.”
Ahead of the singer’s landmark concert on Saturday night, the operation sought to neutralize any potential threats. Authorities conducted the operation discreetly to prevent public panic, choosing not to inform Gaga or her team about the threats.
On Sunday, a spokesperson for Lady Gaga gave a statement to the press.
“We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning. 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 team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.”
Additionally, on the same day, the Rio de Janeiro civil police released a video that described the operation, which included carrying out search warrants in “Rio, Niterói, Duque de Caxias, and Macaé.”
“Those involved in virtually recruiting participants to carry out attacks using improvised explosives were identified — the plan aimed to gain notoriety on social media,” the civil police said in a statement.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts