One of the men accused of planning a terrorist attack at Lady Gaga’s Copacabana Beach concert Saturday, which was attended by an estimated 2.5m people, was reportedly deported from the U.S. a month prior.
Brazilian police allege Luis da Silva, 44, plotted to set up bombs close to Gaga’s stage during the record-breaking Rio de Janeiro show.
At a news conference on Monday, Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Secretary Officer Felipe Curi told reporters da Silva said Gaga “was a Satanist and that he was going to perform a Satanist ritual too, killing a child during the show,” according to reporting from the New York Post.
The Independent has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the White House, Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Consulate and Rio’s civil police for information.
An ICE official said it would be difficult to confirm the report because the man’s name is common.
According to the outlet, it wasn’t immediately clear why da Silva was forcibly removed from the U.S. but authorities say they are investigating. A 17-year-old boy and da Silva were taken into custody just hours before the concert went ahead after authorities managed to unravel the alleged plot.
Police said the teen and da Silva used Discord to communicate and radicalize others to carry out the attacks on children and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“They planned to use Molotov cocktails and explosive backpacks,” a police complaint obtained by the Post read.
Police arrested da Silva on an illegal gun possession charge in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul and was released on Monday.
In a social media post, Sao Paulo congresswoman Erika Hilton wrote on X, “The group he led also promoted pedophilia, misogyny and LGBTphobia through social media.
Officials arrested the 17-year-old at his home in Rio de Janeiro for possession of child sex abuse images.
Due to police action, officials said they managed to spare the lives of hundreds of concertgoers.
“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,” Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Chief Luiz Lima, who oversees the Department for the Repression of Computer Crimes, said at the news conference.
Officials executed search warrants against nine additional alleged accomplices in Mato Grosso, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo.
Police searched the home of a 16-year-old suspect in Sao Vicente near Sao Paulo. He allegedly told police he was recruited to create online profiles, spread hate but said he didn’t have anything to do with the bomb plot.
Officials said they attempted to avoid panic by not telling representatives for Lady Gaga about the threats.
Her beach concert had the largest attendance for a solo performer in history. That record had previously been held by Madonna.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, a representative for the singer said: “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.”
