Brazilian authorities have arrested two men who allegedly plotted to carry out attacks on the Israeli embassy and other buildings in the Jewish community.
The arrests took place in the southeastern state of São Paulo, federal police said in a statement on Wednesday.
An official with knowledge of the plot, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the suspects had been recruited and financially supported by the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
The federal police kept the names of both suspects secret and did not provide any details about them.
Interpol was also alerted to arrest warrants for two other individuals in Lebanon with dual Lebanese-Brazilian nationality.
However, they cannot be arrested in Lebanon on the basis of a Brazilian court order. The Brazilian warrant could only be executed if they left the country for another country or if they returned to Brazil.
The law enforcement agency executed eleven search warrants in Sao Paulo and the nearby states of Minas Gerais and Brasilia aimed at obtaining evidence of possible recruitment of Brazilians to carry out extremist acts in the country, adding that it targets both recruits and recruiters targeted.
Brazil’s federal police announced Wednesday that it has foiled a plot by two Brazilian men to unleash attacks on Jewish targets in Brazil. Law enforcement sources told news media that the suspects were backed by Hezbollah
Brazilian media reported that several Brazilian nationals have traveled to Lebanon to meet with the leadership of the Hezbollah militia group. The faction, led by leader Hassan Nasrallah (pictured), reportedly targeted Jewish targets in the South American country
Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that one of the suspects was arrested at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo after arriving from Lebanon. Authorities believe he already had information about the progress of the attacks.
Online news outlet G1 reported that the arrest at the airport took place on Tuesday evening. The second arrest took place on Wednesday when the man arrived at the airport from nearby Santa Catarina state.
Both suspects were placed in pre-trial detention for 30 days.
“Recruiters and recruits must respond to the crimes of forming or joining a terrorist organization and carrying out preparatory terrorist acts, the maximum penalties of which, added together, amount to fifteen years and six months in prison,” the federal police said in a statement.
One hundred and twenty shrouds were placed on the beach on November 3 by members of the non-governmental organization Rio da Paz in honor of Palestinian children killed in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
People hold a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people, organized by the Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 31.
The Federal Police’s anti-terrorism unit found that Brazilians, including some with criminal backgrounds, were being courted and hired by Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon to carry out attacks on Brazilian territory.
Some Brazilians had traveled to Beirut for meetings with the group to discuss its objectives and the possible recruitment of more people.
Israeli intelligence agency Mossad thanked Brazilian security services for their role in thwarting the attack.
“Brazilian security services, together with Mossad and… other international security and enforcement agencies, thwarted a terrorist attack in Brazil planned by the terrorist organization Hezbollah, directed and financed by the Iranian regime,” the report said. .
The concerns come amid growing concerns about global security in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,400 people and kidnapped 240 others.
The Israeli army responded with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 10,000 people in the area controlled by Hamas, according to health authorities.
At least 34 Brazilian nationals and ten related Palestinians are waiting in Gaza to be evacuated and allowed to cross the Gaza border into Egypt for their return to Brazil.
Israeli Ambassador to Brazil Daniel Zonshine said the group did not leave because of Hamas’ restrictions.
“Despite recent statements, Hamas is the only factor delaying the exodus of Brazilians from Gaza because of its own interests,” said Zonshine, quoted by Brazilian online news channel R7. “We are in an all-out war against a terrorist organization that repeatedly spreads disinformation to continue creating terror.”
Israeli soldiers walk through the rubble amid the ongoing ground invasion against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday
Gaza residents inspect the Khaled bin Al-Walid Mosque, which was destroyed by Israeli raids on Wednesday
Family and friends attend Wednesday’s funeral of fallen Israeli soldier Ya’akov Ozeri, who was killed near Mount Meron in Meron, Israel
Brazilian Jewish leaders told Reuters they had noticed an increase in anti-Semitic discourse online since the start of the conflict.
Hezbollah was founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to fight Israeli forces that had invaded Lebanon.
The group, led by Hassan Nasrallah, holds seats in parliament and government and serves as Iran’s spearhead in Lebanon and the region.
The country has been drawn into the conflict since last month’s attack, engaging Israeli forces along the border in the deadliest escalation since it went to war with Israel in 2006.
Hezbollah is designated a terrorist organization by Argentina, Britain, Canada, Germany, Honduras and the United States, as well as most US-allied Gulf states.
In 2019, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he planned to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization as well, but that never happened.