Twice-deported illegal immigrant accused of trying to storm United cockpit, threatening bomb: DHS
A Honduran national who was previously deported from the U.S. twice has been accused of attempting to storm the cockpit of a United Airlines flight and claiming to have a bomb, according to DHS.
Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a Honduran national with two prior deportations from the United States, was arrested Monday night after allegedly attempting to enter the cockpit of United Airlines Flight 2174 and claiming to have a bomb. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the incident to Fox News, revealing that the suspect had been removed from the country in 2011 and 2014 after illegal entries.
Flight Disturbance
The United Airlines flight, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 carrying 46 passengers and six crew members, was traveling from Newark to New Orleans when the disturbance occurred. According to the Daily Mail, the suspect's alleged bomb threat prompted the pilots to issue a hijacking alert. The aircraft landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office officers arrested Gomez-Alberto.
United flight 2174 from Newark to New Orleans landed safely following a disruptive incident involving a passenger onboard. Law enforcement met the aircraft upon arrival.
Immigration History
DHS confirmed that Gomez-Alberto first illegally entered the U.S. near El Indio, Texas, in September 2011, and again near Columbus, New Mexico, in October 2014. He was apprehended again in 2019 near San Ysidro, California, after another attempted illegal entry. ICE released him from custody in January 2020 following an immigration judge's order to release him pending removal proceedings.
Following his arrest this week, ICE lodged a detainer for Gomez-Alberto with Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. He faces charges including communicating false information of planned arson, terrorizing, bomb threat, terroristic threat, and disorderly conduct.
On November 10, 2026, ICE lodged a detainer for Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras, with Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office after he attempted to gain entry to the cockpit during a flight.
Official Response
The DHS spokesperson emphasized the administration's stance on such cases, stating: "Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are NOT welcome in the United States." The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has not yet responded to requests for additional comment on the incident.
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