Twice-Deported Honduran National Arrested After Alleged Cockpit Breach and Bomb Threat on United Flight

A Honduran national previously deported from the United States on two separate occasions was arrested after authorities said he claimed to have a bomb and attempted to enter the cockpit of a United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans.

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, 34, was taken into custody by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office after United Flight 2174 landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on the night of November 9. The Boeing 737 MAX 9 was carrying 46 passengers and six crew members. No injuries were reported.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Gomez-Alberto was apprehended by Border Patrol after illegal entries near El Indio, Texas, in September 2011 and near Columbus, New Mexico, in October 2014. He was removed from the country following both encounters. Border Patrol arrested him again in 2019 after an attempted illegal entry near San Ysidro, California. In January 2020, ICE released him from custody after an immigration judge ordered his release pending removal proceedings.

DHS confirmed that ICE lodged a detainer with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office on November 10. A DHS spokesperson stated that Gomez-Alberto, described as a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, had attempted to gain entry to the cockpit during the flight. Local authorities booked him on charges that included communicating false information of planned arson and terrorizing. DHS separately listed bomb threat, terroristic threat, and disorderly conduct offenses.

United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the flight “landed safely following a disruptive incident involving a passenger onboard” and that law enforcement met the aircraft upon arrival. Reports indicated that pilots transmitted a hijacking alert during the disturbance. The Federal Aviation Administration has said it plans to investigate the incident.

Gomez-Alberto is being held without bond. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office did not immediately provide additional details beyond the charges. DHS noted that under the current administration, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.

The episode follows earlier Border Patrol encounters with Gomez-Alberto that resulted in two prior removals and a subsequent release ordered by an immigration judge while removal proceedings remained pending.