A 20-year-old Chicago man has been indicted on a federal charge after prosecutors say he made a hoax bomb threat involving a Disney Cruise Line ship in December 2025. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Daquan Smith has been charged with interstate transmission of a threat and could face up to five years in federal prison if convicted.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that the alleged threat was made by phone on December 6 and referred to a Disney cruise ship traveling from The Bahamas. Authorities eventually traced the call to Smith’s cell phone, according to court records. There was no widely reported security incident involving the threat at the time, and it remains unclear whether the call resulted in any evacuations or other disruptions aboard the Disney Cruise Line ship.
The circumstances investigators say led to the call make this an especially unusual case. After Smith was identified, he and his mother reportedly spoke with the FBI about what happened. According to an account of that interview filed in court, Smith told investigators that he had been receiving spam calls throughout the day and called Disney Cruise Line because it was the most recent number that had contacted him.
The report states that Smith allegedly made the call out of frustration with the unwanted calls and did not intend to harm Disney Cruise Line or anyone aboard its ships. Smith was arrested in Illinois in July and later released on bond. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday.
There is now a dispute over where the federal case should proceed. Although Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury in Orlando, prosecutors say he was physically located in Chicago when the alleged call was made. His attorney has asked for the Orlando case to be dismissed and moved to Illinois.
Court documents cited by the Sentinel also indicate that the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office initially investigated the incident. A detective reportedly informed the FBI in February that the agency could not prosecute the case because the alleged offense occurred outside its jurisdiction.
Smith’s attorney is separately asking the court to suppress statements he made during his FBI interview. The defense argues that the interview was not recorded and that agents did not advise Smith of his Miranda rights.
A federal judge has not yet ruled on either request. Smith’s next hearing is scheduled for October 13.
Disney Cruise Line had not provided a comment to the Orlando Sentinel at the time of its report.
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