Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio “Terry” Palacios issued a stern warning Monday as he addressed the consequences of school threats.

“We've been receiving a whole bunch of threats in school districts, and people don't realize how serious they are,” Palacios said. “Don’t do it. It's not a joke, it's serious."

Palacios spoke during a Monday news conference alongside local law enforcement.

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This month, police departments across the Rio Grande Valley arrested over a dozen students in connection with school threats made on social media.

“If you disrupt the class on a threat, either bomb threat or shooting threat, that carries a possible punishment from two to 10 years in jail and a fine not to exceed $10,000,” Palacios said. “And we are going to be prosecuting those threats."

Law enforcement officials are also encouraging parents to monitor their child's social media activity and their cell phone usage.