Florida International University student arrested over alleged threat to campus. A Florida International University sophomore student was arrested after she was accused of threatening to harm a campus event. The student is a 23-year-old sophomore at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, who was arrested in April 2026 for allegedly threatening to kill or cause bodily harm to a campus event over WhatsApp. Saldana, identified as Gabriela Saldana, was arrested after she allegedly posted the messages in a WhatsApp group chat of approximately 215 students who were discussing a scheduled capstone event at the university’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The messages were reported to campus police by other students.
Saldana later explained to 24 heures that she was “just a dumb joke” and that the messages were not a threat. She was arrested and charged with felony offenses.
A Florida student was arrested and is now facing up to 15 years in jail for making a joke about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The student allegedly wrote, “Netanyahu, if you can hear me, drop some bonbons for us Capstone students in the Ocean Bank Convocation… pic.twitter.com/j7r8Lu5nsq
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) April 20, 2026
What exactly did the WhatsApp messages say?
In the two messages that experts say triggered alarms, Saldana supposedly wrote. “Netanyahu, if you can hear me, drop some bonbons for us Capstone students in Ocean Bank Convocation Center”.
Law enforcement officials say the use of “bonbons” was a coded message for bombs. In a second message, she allegedly said “there is going to be a bomb in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center” and put the blame on another student. The screenshots were shared among students, many of whom did not see the jokes and immediately reported them.
Why did authorities treat it as a threat?
Law enforcement officials say the messages fit the legal criteria for a written threat under Florida law. The arrest report says the message was “sent in a manner in which it may be viewed by another person” and could be “reasonable or credible to view as a threat”. University officials also called it a “credible and imminent threat” because it mentioned a particular location and event. In light of campus safety concerns in the U.S., authorities consider these threats unacceptable and take them seriously.
Did Gabriela Saldana say it was a joke?
Yes. Saldana, apparently, told other people in the chat that “I wrote a dumb joke that shouldn’t have been made” after the messages started people worried. Her defense has said the messages weren’t actual threats, but rather “a venting of frustration about the event,” according to court documents. But the judge has said when it comes to how people are likely to interpret a message, intent isn’t really what matters.
What is she being charged with, and what is the legal situation?
Saldana has been charged with making written threats to kill or injure someone, a second-degree felony in Florida. She could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
She was arrested and appeared in bond court, where bail was set at $5,000. The judge said there was probable cause for the prosecution to proceed, but a final conviction will come later in the legal process.
What does the case say about the law and online communication?
The case is an example of how messages in online chats can be taken seriously by recipients and the authorities, particularly when they involve violent references. With universities increasingly using WhatsApp for academic collaboration, the incident also raises broader questions about the limits, intent, and accountability of online communication. Legal experts say that any message that this author could see as threatening violence can be treated as a criminal threat if it causes fear or seems credible. The Gabriela Saldana case is a reminder of how even remarks made online and later claimed to be jokes can have real-world legal implications.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience reporting on Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes journalism plays a crucial role in amplifying unheard voices and bringing attention to issues that truly matter. Sofia has contributed articles to The New Indian Express, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Maktoob Media. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity. Beyond the newsroom, she is a music enthusiast who enjoys singing. Connect with Sofia on X: https://x.com/SBCism
