A Florida International University student could spend more than 10 years in prison after messages referencing Benjamin Netanyahu and a potential attack were allegedly posted in a university group chat.
Gabriela Saldana, 23, was arrested in the early hours of April 17, following an alleged threat tied to FIU’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center that was reportedly made earlier the same day.
According to the International Business Times, FIU campus police reviewed two separate messages that were sent to a WhatsApp group for 2015 students.
Investigators say Saldana framed one of the messages as a ‘joke’ involving Netanyahu—an exchange that has now led to a second-degree felony charge.
After her arrest, Saldana appeared before Judge Mindy S. Glazer. She was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where the outlet reported her bond was set at $5,000. She was charged with writing threats to kill or do bodily harm under Florida Statute 836.10.
7News reported that the arrest stemmed from a message in which the student appeared to call for ‘bonbons’ to be dropped on a university building.
Authorities reportedly interpreted that wording as meaning ‘bombs’.
The message said: “[Israel’s Benjamin] Netanyahu, if you can hear me, drop some bonbons for us Capstone students in Ocean Bank Convocation Center.”
In court, an FIU Police officer also alleged she later wrote: “There is going to be a bomb in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center and it was going to be Jonathan’s fault.”
The statement was said to refer to another student who was part of the group chat.
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
When other students allegedly did not view the posts as humorous, Saldana reportedly responded that she ‘wrote a dumb joke that should not have been made.’
During the hearing before Judge Glazer—footage of which later circulated on X—the judge addressed how the messages could be interpreted.
“I can understand your position when you are saying this is a joke, but to an objective person, it’s not a joke, and it would be enough for probable cause. I’m not saying it’s enough for beyond a reasonable doubt. I don’t know if the state is going to be able to prove it in trial, but for purposes of this hearing, I believe there is enough for probable cause.” said the Judge.
FIU also issued a statement on the matter, as reported by Local 10: “An FIU student has been arrested for making a credible and imminent threat of violence at a planned university event. According to the investigation, the suspect identified a specific date, time and venue. Given the ongoing investigation and federal student privacy laws, FIU has no further comment. There is no further threat to the university community.”