Brazil nets ‘amateur’ terror cell ahead of Rio Games

Brazilian police today arrested 10 would-be terrorists discussing possible attacks during next month’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Justice Minister Alexandre Moraes described the group as “absolutely amateur” but said its members claimed to support Islamic State (ISIS). The suspects, all Brazilian, had never met in person but communicated via social media apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Intelligence officials are watching about 100 other people who might have links to terror groups. Brazil has not participated in the coalition fighting ISIS in the Middle East and has not suffered terror attacks so far. But security experts fear the international nature of the Olympics makes the Rio Games a tempting, and very high profile, terror target. The country plans to deploy about 85,000 soldiers, police, and other security personnel for the event, about twice the number watching over the London Olympics in 2012.