Security personnel in Brazil have arrested 12 suspects in connection with their alleged pledge of allegiance to the Da’esh (ISIS) terrorist organization via social media.
The cell also reportedly discussed the use of weapons, guerrilla tactics and possible attacks during the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to a report Thursday by ABC News.
Brazil’s Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes told reporters in Brasilia, the nation’s capital, that one of the suspects is a minor.
“They were complete amateurs and ill-prepared” to actually pursue their goals, he added, noting that the suspects had said a few days prior “they should start practicing martial arts, for example.”
But even disorganized groups — for example, the suspects in this group were arrested in 10 different states, including Sao Paulo, and had not yet specified a target — needed to be taken seriously, Moraes said.
Brazil has raised security in the country to “a higher level” due to concerns over terrorism following the attack in the southern French city of Nice.
The Olympic Games begin August 5.