DHS Confirms Suspect in United Cockpit Threat Was Deported Twice Before
Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a Honduran national, was removed from the US in 2011 and 2014 before landing in custody following a flight incident Monday night.
By Julia Wang ·
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Tuesday that Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, the man accused of threatening a bomb and trying to storm the cockpit of a United Airlines flight, had previously been deported from the United States twice.
Gomez-Alberto was arrested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office after United Flight 2174 landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Monday night. The flight originated in Newark and carried 46 passengers and six crew members on a Boeing 737 MAX 9.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Gomez-Alberto allegedly claimed to have a bomb during the trip. This prompted the pilots to issue a hijacking alert. The agency stated that the suspect also attempted to gain entry to the flight deck.
The department traced the man's immigration history to three separate encounters with US border agents. Border Patrol apprehended him near El Indio, Texas, in September 2011. He was removed from the country following that incident. A second apprehension occurred near Columbus, New Mexico, in October 2014, leading to another removal.
In 2019, agents arrested him again near San Ysidro, California. An immigration judge ordered his release from ICE custody in January 2020 pending removal proceedings. A DHS spokesperson noted that ICE lodged a detainer with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office on November 10, 2026.
Local authorities booked Gomez-Alberto on charges of communicating false information of planned arson and terrorizing. The federal agency listed bomb threat, terroristic threat, and disorderly conduct among the offenses. United Airlines confirmed the aircraft landed safely and stated that law enforcement met the plane upon arrival.
A DHS spokesperson said the agency confirmed Gomez-Alberto is a criminal illegal alien from Honduras. The spokesperson added that under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
