A man accused of planning a terrorist attack at Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert in Brazil was apprehended by authorities and then released. The arrest occurred shortly after the suspect was deported from the United States, the New York Post reported Tuesday.
Investigators said that Luis da Silva, 44, wanted to livestream the execution of children and set off bombs near the stage of the concert to 2.5 million fans on hand Saturday at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
"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 Felipe Curi told reporters Monday.
Da Silva's allegation that Gaga is a Satanist likely stems from her relationship with Marina Abramović, a Serbian performer and conceptual artist.
Da Silva and a 17-year-old boy were apprehended hours before the concert in an investigation called "Operation Fake Monster."
"The Civil Police acted quietly and without creating panic. It's the kind of information the police can't overlook. In this sense, we acted surgically so that the crime did not happen. Whenever the Civil Police becomes aware of the imminence of an attack, we will act," Curi said, according to Eu, Rio.
The attack reportedly also targeted gay people.
"They planned to use Molotov cocktails and explosive backpacks," a police report read.
But much to the outrage of local officials, da Silva was released on bail Monday after being charged with illegal gun possession in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.
"The group he led also promoted pedophilia, misogyny and LGBTphobia through social media. In addition, at the time of his arrest, he was in possession of an illegal firearm," Sao Paulo lawmaker Erika Hilton wrote Sunday on X.
Da Silva's alleged accomplice was also arrested on child pornography charges. It is unclear, however, if that person was released.
Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Chief Luiz Lima, who oversees the Department for the Repression of Computer Crimes, applauded the investigation.
"It was an integrated action that saved hundreds of lives," he said. "These groups, which are organized, have goals to achieve notoriety, to gather more spectators, more participants, the majority of whom are teenagers, many of them children."
A representative of the pop singer said in a statement on Sunday:
"We learned of this alleged threat through media reports this morning. Prior to and during the show, there were no known security concerns, nor any communication from police or authorities to Lady Gaga about any potential risks."
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