RIO DE JANEIRO — The Brazilian authorities arrested 10 members of an Islamist militant group that was organizing terror attacks, officials announced Thursday, raising tension around the country just two weeks before the start of the Olympic Games.
The Federal Police said in a statement that the suspects belonged to a group called the Defenders of Sharia. Agents from an antiterrorism unit are investigating the group’s activities in the several states, including Rio de Janeiro, where the Games will take place.
The arrests were announced at a time when the Brazilian authorities are coming under scrutiny over security preparations for the Olympics.