Two people were arrested in relation to an alleged pump attack plot aimed at Lady Gaga’s free concert in Copacabana Beach, confirmed the Brazilian civil police.
The suspects, an adult man detained in Rio Grande do Sul and a teenager arrested in Rio de Janeiro, are reported fans from Lady Gaga and supposedly planned to use improvised explosives, including the Molotov cocktails, authorities said. They were not found explosives during the operation, according to the police.
The authorities say that the two are part of an online group that promotes hate speech and tries to recruit other adolescents while promoting acts of violence. Police allege that one of the suspects was also found in possession of child pornography.
A fireworks show after the huge free concert of Lady Gaga in Copacabana Beach on May 3, 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Mendes/Getty Images Buddha
The arrests were part of the False Monsters operation, a joint investigation led by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, the Federal Police and the digital intelligence services. The operation aimed to avoid any threat before the singer’s historical performance on Saturday night, which attracted more than two million fans to the iconic in front of the Rio beach.
Despite the threat, the concert continued without incident.
The Civil Police in Rio de Janeiro launched a very produced video on Sunday detailing the police operation, which involved executing search warrants in several cities, including Río, Niterói, Duke of Caxias and Macaé.
“Those involved in virtually recruiting participants to carry out attacks with improvised explosives were identified: the plan was aimed at gaining notoriety in social networks,” said the Civil Police in a statement.
Lady Gaga acts during her concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 3, 2025.
Stringer/AFP through Getty Images
A spokesman for Lady Gaga said the singer and her team did not know about the operation until Sunday.
“We learned about this alleged threat through media reports this morning,” said the statement. “Before and during the show, there were no known security problems, nor any police communication or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risk. His team worked closely with the application of the law during the entire planning and execution of the concert and all parties trusted the established security measures.”
-ABC News’ Monica Escobedo contributed to this report.
This is a development story. Consult the updates again.
