Identity of Speakers
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Gabriela Saldana
Student
OtherFIU Student
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Campus police
Other Law Enforcement
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
On April 16, 2026, Florida International University (FIU) Police arrested FIU student Gabriela Saldana after investigating messages she posted in a WhatsApp group chat discussing an upcoming Capstone event. A capstone event is a culminating academic presentation or showcase where students present final projects or work completed as part of their program. According to police, Saldana posted messages referencing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bombs, including: “Netanyahu can you please drop bombs on FIU. Finals are next week and I’m not ready.” Police alleged that the messages constituted a written threat and charged Saldana with making a written threat to kill or do bodily harm. Saldana said the messages were jokes and did not represent an actual threat.
FIU Police said they began investigating after receiving a report about the WhatsApp messages. Investigators reviewed the messages and the surrounding conversation before making the arrest. Police stated that threats involving potential acts of violence were investigated regardless of whether the person who made the statement claimed it was a joke. The messages referenced the FIU event and the timing of finals, according to police and the arrest report.
On April 23, 2026, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) sent a letter to FIU Police regarding Saldana’s arrest. FIRE stated that the messages appeared to be political commentary and argued that the statements did not meet the legal standard for a true threat. FIRE’s letter stated that “jokes, satire, and political hyperbole” are generally protected under the First Amendment unless they communicate a serious expression of intent to commit unlawful violence. FIRE requested that FIU Police review the arrest and consider whether the messages were protected expression.
FIU Police stated that the department had a responsibility to investigate reports involving potential threats, while FIRE argued that the messages should be evaluated in the context of First Amendment protections. No information was available indicating that Saldana was suspended, expelled, or otherwise removed from FIU following the arrest.
