Latest news with #MinistryofJusticeandPublicSecurity
International Business Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- International Business Times
Who Is Luis da Silva? Suspect Who Plotted to Kill Lady Gaga Fans at Concert Identified as Illegal Immigrant Who Was Recently Deported from US
The suspected terrorist who allegedly planned to kill Lady Gaga fans by plotting a horrifying attack at her record-breaking concert in Brazil has been identified by as an illegal immigrant who was deported from the United States just last month, Brazilian officials revealed on Monday. Luis da Silva, 44, allegedly planned to live-stream the killing of children and plant bombs near the stage during Lady Gaga's concert, which attracted over 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, according to the investigators. The threat was thwarted through a coordinated effort between Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro. Arrested and Jailed "He said that the singer was a Satanist and that he was going to perform a Satanist ritual too, killing a child during the show," Rio de Janeiro Civil Police secretary, officer Felipe Curi, told reporters on Monday. Dubbed Operation Fake Monster—a reference to Lady Gaga's fanbase, known as "Little Monsters"—the investigation identified people who were allegedly recruiting others, including minors, to launch attacks at the concert using improvised explosives. One teenager was reportedly arrested after police thwarted the bomb attack. "The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails," the police said in a statement. Investigators uncovered online groups using coded messages and extremist imagery to incite violent behavior among teens. Law enforcement carried more than a dozen search and seizure operations targeting 15 people in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo. "The plan was treated as a 'collective challenge' with the aim of gaining notoriety on social media," police said. The 39-year-old pop star's concert was funded by the city in a bid to give a boost to Rio's economy, with estimates suggesting it could generate close to $100 million in revenue. "Tonight, we're making history. Thank you for making history with me," Lady Gaga told the ecstatic audience. Extensive Operation Led to Arrest The Ministry of Justice said that 15 search and seizure warrants were executed across the states of Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo. Authorities seized electronic devices and other items from the homes of nine suspects who are currently being investigated. Social media accounts tied to the suspects reportedly contained hate-filled content targeting the LGBT+ community, children, and teens. The accounts also encouraged teen radicalization, self-harm, pedophilia, and the circulation of violent materials online. Investigators say the group intended to disguise the attack as a viral social media challenge. Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Secretary Felipe Curi said that those involved will face terrorism charges. ""They were planning a terrorist attack. That's why we're only disclosing the operation today, so as not to spread panic. It was an important operation that didn't interfere with the event, but prevented greater harm from happening," he said at a press briefing.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lady Gaga bomb plot targeted LGBTQ crowd, third person planned ‘satanist ritual' child killing, Brazil authorities say
Two people arrested on suspicion of planning an attack at a Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro were targeting LGBTQ+ people, police said on Sunday. According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, the pair had attempted to 'recruit' people, including teenagers, to carry out coordinated attacks at Saturday's concert, using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails. The goal of the planned attack, according to police, was 'gaining notoriety on social media.' Meanwhile, in a separate development following police searches at nine addresses across Brazil, a third person who allegedly planned to carry out a 'satanist ritual by killing a child or a baby' during the concert was charged with terrorism offenses, according to Brazilian police. Roughly 2.1 million concert goers attended the free performance at Rio's Copacabana beach, for what was Gaga's first show in Brazil since 2012. The suspects mainly wanted to target LGBTQ+ people attending the concert, police said. Gaga is a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, having previously told a rally at World Pride NYC that she would 'take a bullet' for them. Last month, Gaga said that people 'filled with hatred and ignorance… should be looking up to the queer community and following and learning about love, and learning about grace, learning about kindness.' The suspects were part of an online hate group that worked to radicalize young people, police said. They also promoted 'the dissemination of hate crimes, self-harm, pedophilia and violent content,' police added. Those arrested posed as 'Little Monsters,' the name given to fans of Lady Gaga, to try and recruit people online to carry out the coordinated attacks, according to Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Because of this, the police named their plan to thwart the bomb plot 'Operation Fake Monster.' The alleged leader of the group was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager connected to the foiled attack was arrested for possession of child pornography. 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, police added. Two of the search warrants were a result of coordinated actions with the US Consulate, who warned Brazilian authorities about potential threats, according to the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police. A spokesperson for Lady Gaga told CNN on Sunday that there were 'no known safety concerns' prior to the superstar's concert. 'We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning,' the spokesperson's statement to CNN read. '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.' Police said in a statement that they carried out their operation 'with discretion and precision' to avoid 'panic or distortion of information among the population.' Dani Morera Trettin, one of the millions of Gaga fans that attended the concert, told CNN's Julia Vargas Jones that he was glad that the police didn't tell the public about the threat as it 'could have caused some major panic.' He said that the fact that the group actively wanted to target the LGBTQ+ population 'left a bitter taste in my mouth,' but emphasized that Gaga 'bringing queer joy to Rio de Janeiro' was an important statement 'as the world turns more conservative.' On Sunday, Specialized Police Chief Andre Neves said at a press conference that, in the last three weeks, police have prevented many crimes that were planned on the 'deep web.' 'The population can be tranquil as there's an ongoing intelligence work over these groups. Whether they involve hate crimes, religiously motivated crimes, or attacks – all (of) them will respond for their crimes,' he said. In a post on Instagram, Lady Gaga thanked those who turned up to her Copacabana performance, writing that 'nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night's show – the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil.' Alongside photos of her performance, Gaga wrote that 'the sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.' Last May, an estimated 1.6 million people attended a free Madonna concert on the same beach, braving temperatures that exceeded 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) to gather for the show. At the time, Rio's state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais ($3.9 million) on the Madonna concert, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. CNN's Alli Rosenbloom contributed to this reporting.
Muscat Daily
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
Terror plot foiled ahead of Lady Gaga concert in Brazil
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil – Authorities in Brazil have arrested multiple individuals suspected of plotting a coordinated attack during American singer Lady Gaga's free concert at Copacabana Beach, attended by more than two million people on Saturday. According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, two suspects were detained for allegedly attempting to recruit individuals, including minors, to carry out acts of violence at the concert using improvised explosive devices and Molotov cocktails. A third individual was also arrested on charges of terrorism, with police stating he had planned a separate act involving a ritualistic killing. The suspects are reported to have been part of an online network promoting violent content and criminal ideologies. Law enforcement authorities conducted searches at nine locations across Brazil and issued 15 search and seizure warrants. One of the arrested individuals was reportedly in possession of illegal firearms, while a minor associated with the group was apprehended on unrelated criminal charges. Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security confirmed that the group had posed as fans of the singer in an attempt to gain trust and recruit others online. The police operation was codenamed 'Operation Fake Monster' in reference to the singer's fan base. The Rio concert marked Lady Gaga's return to Brazil after more than a decade and formed part of her global promotional tour for her new album 'Mayhem'. Despite the foiled plot, the performance proceeded without incident under tight security, including the deployment of over 5,000 officers, metal detectors, surveillance drones, and facial recognition systems. City officials estimate that the concert generated around $100 million for the local economy. The large-scale event follows a similar free concert by Madonna held at the same venue in 2024. Lady Gaga expressed her gratitude to fans, stating, 'Brazil, I'm ready. I'm going to give it my all,' before concluding her performance with the hit 'Bad Romance'.
Times of Oman
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
Brazilian police arrest two people over alleged plot to attack Lady Gaga's concert
Rio de Janeiro: Police have said that two persons arrested on suspicion of planning an attack at singer Lady Gaga's concert in Rio de Janeiro were targeting LGBTQ+ people, CNN reported. According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, the two persons had tried to "recruit" people, including teenagers, to conduct coordinated attacks at a concert on Saturday, using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails. According to police, the attack was planned to gain "notoriety on social media." In a separate development, a third person who allegedly planned to conduct a "satanist ritual by killing a child or a baby" during the concert was charged with terrorism offences, according to Brazilian police. The arrests were made following police searches at nine addresses across Brazil, CNN reported. Around 2.1 million people attended the pop icon's free performance at Rio's Copacabana beach, which was Gaga's first show in Brazil since 2012. Police said the suspects mainly wanted to target LGBTQ+ people attending the concert. Lady Gaga is a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ people and has previously said in a rally at World Pride NYC that she would "take a bullet" for them. She said that people "filled with hatred and ignorance... should be looking up to the queer community and following and learning about love, and learning about grace, learning about kindness." According to police, the suspects were part of an online hate group that worked to radicalise young people. Police said they promoted "the dissemination of hate crimes, self-harm, pedophilia and violent content." According to Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security, those who have been arrested by police posed as "Little Monsters," the name given to fans of Lady Gaga, to try and recruit people online to conduct the coordinated attacks. In response to this, police named their plan to thwart the plot "Operation Fake Monster." the police named their plan to thwart the bomb plot "Operation Fake Monster." The group's alleged leader was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm while a teenager linked to the thwarted attack was arrested for possession of child pornography, CNN reported. According to police, 15 search and seizure warrants were served against nine targets in Brazil. One of those searched was the man who allegedly planned to kill a child or baby during the concert, as he claimed that Gaga was a satanist and he intended to "respond in the same way," according to police officer Maria Luiza Machado. Police said he was charged with terrorism and inducing crime. According to the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police, two of the search warrants were conducted in coordination with the US Consulate, which warned Brazilian authorities regarding potential threats. Before the singer's concert on Sunday, a spokesperson for Lady Gaga told CNN that there were "no known safety concerns." In a statement to CNN, the spokesperson said, "We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning." The statement read, "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."
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lady Gaga bomb plot targeted LGBTQ crowd, third person planned ‘satanist ritual' child killing, Brazil authorities say
Two people arrested on suspicion of planning an attack at a Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro were targeting LGBTQ+ people, police said on Sunday. According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, the pair had attempted to 'recruit' people, including teenagers, to carry out coordinated attacks at Saturday's concert, using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails. The goal of the planned attack, according to police, was 'gaining notoriety on social media.' Meanwhile, in a separate development following police searches at nine addresses across Brazil, a third person who allegedly planned to carry out a 'satanist ritual by killing a child or a baby' during the concert was charged with terrorism offenses, according to Brazilian police. Roughly 2.1 million concert goers attended the free performance at Rio's Copacabana beach, for what was Gaga's first show in Brazil since 2012. The suspects mainly wanted to target LGBTQ+ people attending the concert, police said. Gaga is a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, having previously told a rally at World Pride NYC that she would 'take a bullet' for them. Last month, Gaga said that people 'filled with hatred and ignorance… should be looking up to the queer community and following and learning about love, and learning about grace, learning about kindness.' The suspects were part of an online hate group that worked to radicalize young people, police said. They also promoted 'the dissemination of hate crimes, self-harm, pedophilia and violent content,' police added. Those arrested posed as 'Little Monsters,' the name given to fans of Lady Gaga, to try and recruit people online to carry out the coordinated attacks, according to Brazil's Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Because of this, the police named their plan to thwart the bomb plot 'Operation Fake Monster.' The alleged leader of the group was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager connected to the foiled attack was arrested for possession of child pornography. 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, police added. Two of the search warrants were a result of coordinated actions with the US Consulate, who warned Brazilian authorities about potential threats, according to the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police. A spokesperson for Lady Gaga told CNN on Sunday that there were 'no known safety concerns' prior to the superstar's concert. 'We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning,' the spokesperson's statement to CNN read. '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.' Police said in a statement that they carried out their operation 'with discretion and precision' to avoid 'panic or distortion of information among the population.' Dani Morera Trettin, one of the millions of Gaga fans that attended the concert, told CNN's Julia Vargas Jones that he was glad that the police didn't tell the public about the threat as it 'could have caused some major panic.' He said that the fact that the group actively wanted to target the LGBTQ+ population 'left a bitter taste in my mouth,' but emphasized that Gaga 'bringing queer joy to Rio de Janeiro' was an important statement 'as the world turns more conservative.' On Sunday, Specialized Police Chief Andre Neves said at a press conference that, in the last three weeks, police have prevented many crimes that were planned on the 'deep web.' 'The population can be tranquil as there's an ongoing intelligence work over these groups. Whether they involve hate crimes, religiously motivated crimes, or attacks – all (of) them will respond for their crimes,' he said. In a post on Instagram, Lady Gaga thanked those who turned up to her Copacabana performance, writing that 'nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night's show – the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil.' Alongside photos of her performance, Gaga wrote that 'the sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.' Last May, an estimated 1.6 million people attended a free Madonna concert on the same beach, braving temperatures that exceeded 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) to gather for the show. At the time, Rio's state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais ($3.9 million) on the Madonna concert, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. CNN's Alli Rosenbloom contributed to this reporting.
