Cockpit Intrusion: Twice-Deported Passenger Arrested After Bomb Threat
A Honduran national previously removed from the U.S. twice was booked in Louisiana after claiming to have a bomb on a United Airlines flight.
By Isaac Medina ·
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that the man accused of attempting to force his way into a United Airlines cockpit had been deported from the United States twice before. Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a national of Honduras, was arrested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office on Monday night, November 9, 2026, after United Airlines Flight 2174 landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
The flight, which originated in Newark, New Jersey, experienced a midair disturbance. Gomez-Alberto allegedly claimed he possessed a bomb, a statement that led the pilots to issue a hijacking alert. The aircraft, identified as a Boeing 737 MAX 9, carried 46 passengers and six crew members. United Airlines stated in a release that the plane landed safely and that law enforcement officers boarded the aircraft upon arrival.
DHS records show a history of border encounters for the suspect. Border Patrol apprehended Gomez-Alberto after he illegally entered the country near El Indio, Texas, in September 2011. He was removed from the United States following that incident. In October 2014, Border Patrol captured him again near Columbus, New Mexico, and he was removed a second time. A third arrest occurred in 2019 near San Ysidro, California. In January 2020, an immigration judge ordered his release from ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Following Monday's arrest, ICE lodged a detainer with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. A DHS spokesperson stated, "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."
Charges filed against Gomez-Alberto vary between local and federal statements. Local reporting indicates he was booked for communicating false information of planned arson and terrorizing. DHS listed bomb threat, terroristic threat, and disorderly conduct in its official statement. United Airlines referred further inquiries to local authorities, while the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
DHS added a political note to its confirmation of the detainer. The spokesperson said, "Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are NOT welcome in the United States."
Gomez-Alberto remains in the custody of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. ICE is expected to take possession of the suspect once the local booking process concludes, as is standard procedure when a federal detainer is active.
