Arrested for alleged terror threats on Instagram, FIU student claims it was a “joke”

An 18-year-old Florida International University honors student is facing serious charges after federal authorities said he made written threats on social media, including plans to bomb a house.

Ronaldo Hernandez-Padron, a graduate of South Miami High School, was arrested last week after the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) received a tip on January 4 about concerning posts from an Instagram account with the handle “JurassicParkLover2006.”

According to investigators, the posts included statements such as “Bad things are going to happen” and “Bombing a house today.”

Instagram flagged the posts and provided information linking the account to Hernandez-Padron, including his residential address and date of birth.

Read more: CBS News