gg2
Miami airport news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
A 52-year-old man was arrested at Miami International Airport after joking he had a grenade in his luggage. Such jokes are felonies in Florida, punishable by up to 15 years.
Background
Miami International Airport has seen a series of incidents where passengers made bomb or grenade jokes during security checks, leading to arrests. These jokes are taken seriously due to heightened security concerns, and Florida law treats them as second-degree felonies with severe penalties.
How it unfolded
- Aug 31, 2026Osniel Blanco-Lopez, 52, joked about having a grenade in his luggage at an American Airlines counter. A K-9 search found no explosives, and he was arrested.
- Sep 1, 2026Another man, Guevara-Crespo, was arrested for joking about a bomb while boarding a flight to Cuba at the same airport.
- Sep 2, 2026A third incident occurred when a man replied 'No, but I have a bomb' when asked about lithium batteries at a gate.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Law enforcement and airport officials treat such statements as credible threats, leading to immediate arrest and prosecution.
Still unverified
The specific identities of the individuals in the later incidents (Guevara-Crespo and the lithium battery man) are confirmed, but their exact charges and outcomes are not fully detailed in the material.