DENVER -- A woman accused of punching a flight attendant in the face can be released on $10,000 bond but she can't travel on planes or drink alcohol on orders of a federal magistrate in Denver.

Christina Elizabeth Szele of Woodside, N.Y., was arrested June 17 on charges of assault and interfering with flight attendants on a JetBlue flight from New York to San Francisco. She is being held in Denver and could face up to 20 years in prison.

According to the FBI affidavit, Szele started smoking in her seat. When a flight attendant snatched the cigarette from her mouth and told her she was endangering everyone on the flight Szele shouted obscenities and racial epithets, the FBI said.

Szele, 35, allegedly broke through plastic handcuffs that flight attendants used to restrain her and punched the flight attendant in the face. She is also accused of attacking another JetBlue employee who was asked to sit next to Szele, an FBI agent said in court.

The attacks prompted the captain to divert the flight to Denver.

Veteran flight attendants told investigators they couldn't believe what happened on the flight and that they've never seen such a disruptive passenger.

The magistrate set Szele's bail Monday. Her arraignment is scheduled for July 11. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison and $250,000 fine.

In a news conference, U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said the message he wants to send is that his office takes unruly passengers very seriously.

"I think sometimes people think this is a joke. It's funny. But they're going to find out otherwise as we do more and more of these cases," said Eid. "I would rather spend time taking gang members off the streets, but if people will not behave on airplanes, this is what we're going to do."

U.S. attorneys across the country have seen the number of in-flight disturbances soar. Just last year, a Frontier flight had to divert to Denver after a woman was accused of beating her kids on the flight.

Eid said most cases of unruly passengers are the result of too much alcohol.

Szele "blamed the crew for serving her three vodka drinks," according to the FBI affidavit.

"I personally think that we have an issue of alcohol on flights. It's a very unpopular position for me to talk about but I'll say it. People drink too much on flights," Eid said.

This is not the first time Szele has had a problem with airlines. Last year, she was caught smoking in the lavatory of a JetBlue flight, an FBI agent testified Monday. She apologized and nothing else occurred on that flight from San Francisco to New York flight.

Earlier this month, she was turned away at an airport checkpoint because she appeared intoxicated and used profanities, the agent said.

Eid said he will prosecute Szele to the fullest extent of the law to send a message. He said people who work on planes should feel safe at their workplace.

"We have to prove our case but the message is: we're not going to put up with this," Eid said.

Because she is not allowed to fly, Szele will have to drive or take the bus to her future hearings in Denver.