Brazil operation targets group suspected of planning palace attack during elections

Brazilian authorities have launched an operation targeting a group suspected of plotting attacks against the presidential palace and other government buildings in Brasília. The operation, dubbed "Rede Interrompida" (Interrupted Network), is investigating eight individuals who allegedly exchanged information on public Telegram groups.

According to the Civil Police of the Federal District and the Ministry of Justice, the suspects shared manuals for constructing homemade bombs and detailed architectural plans of the central Brasília area. These plans included 3D models of government buildings, with the presidential palace identified as a primary target. "They made a drawing of the central area marking all the ministries, the National Congress, and the Supreme Federal Court and were defining what the primary target would be," stated Detective Maurílio Coelho, coordinator of Intelligence for the Civil Police.

The investigation, initiated by a technical report from the Ministry of Justice's Cyber Operations Laboratory (Ciberlab), aims to identify concrete actions taken by the group. Authorities are examining seized cell phones and computers. The suspects, aged 19 to 31, come from various backgrounds; one is a seminarian from Pernambuco. The operation also uncovered evidence of neo-Nazi symbols and online hate speech directed at women.

The probe is looking into crimes of criminal association, incitement to crime, and offenses under anti-racism legislation. No arrests were made in connection with this operation. The article notes a separate incident in November 2024 where a man detonated explosives in Brasília.

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They made a drawing of the central area marking all the ministries, the National Congress, and the Supreme Federal Court and were defining what the primary target would be. And, in addition, they disseminated the floor plan of the Palácio do Planalto as the primary target choice.