Brazil says it arrested 10 who pledged allegiance to Islamic State

Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO

Ten Brazilians who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group were arrested Thursday, authorities announced, describing them as “amateurs” who discussed on social media the possibility of staging attacks during next month’s Olympics.

Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes said in the capital, Brasilia, that the 10 were being held on two terrorism-related charges and that two more people were being sought.

Authorities said any attack plan would have had little chance of coming to fruition, citing the group’s lack of resources and skills.

But officials and security experts argued that police were justified in being aggressive in light of “lone wolf” attacks staged in the U.S. and Europe by men with little or no training.

Moraes said police acted because the group discussed using weapons and guerrilla tactics to potentially launch an attack during the Olympics, which begin in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5. They will remain in police custody for at least 30 days.

“They were complete amateurs and ill-prepared” to actually launch an attack, Moraes said.