Brazilian police announced on Sunday that two individuals had been arrested in connection with a foiled bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga’s massive concert in Rio de Janeiro.
The city’s civil police force, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, confirmed that it had successfully thwarted “a bomb attack that would have taken place during Lady Gaga’s concert in Copacabana” on Saturday evening.
The American pop star’s free beach performance reportedly drew an audience of up to two million people.
In a statement posted on X, the police said they had apprehended an adult believed to be the “mastermind of the plot” as well as a teenager, as part of an operation dubbed “Fake Monster” — a nod to Lady Gaga’s affectionate term for her fanbase, the “Little Monsters.”
Authorities revealed that the suspects had allegedly attempted to recruit individuals online to “carry out attacks using improvised explosive devices” in a bid to gain attention on social media.
The police carried out coordinated raids across multiple states, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso.
Saturday’s show marked the second major event in a year to attract over a million spectators to Copacabana Beach, following Madonna’s headline performance last year.
Security at the concert was extensive, involving around 5,000 officers, drone surveillance, and facial recognition technology to ensure public safety.
