Twice-deported Honduran man accused of trying to enter United cockpit

A Honduran man who has been removed from the United States twice is accused of trying to break into the cockpit of a United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans, and of claiming to have a bomb. The aircraft landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Monday night, where law enforcement met the plane.

The suspect, identified as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, was arrested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. He has been booked on charges including providing false arson information and terrorizing. The Department of Homeland Security, which has also publicized the case, lists bomb-threat, terroristic-threat and disorderly-conduct offenses among the allegations against him.

The flight was United 2174, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 carrying 46 passengers and six crew members. According to reporting cited in the notes, the incident caused a midair disturbance, and the pilots reportedly issued a hijacking alert. Everyone aboard landed safely, and the case has since moved into the hands of local investigators.

Federal immigration records show that Gomez-Alberto had previous encounters with U.S. authorities. Border Patrol apprehended him in 2011, 2014 and 2019. He was removed from the country after the 2011 and 2014 encounters. In January 2020, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released him pending removal proceedings, and ICE later lodged a detainer against him on November 10. The sequence means that a man who had already left the country twice was living in the United States again when the flight incident occurred.

United has referred all further questions to local authorities rather than commenting on the incident itself. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting, so no official account of the suspect's statements or conduct in the cabin has been released beyond the charges already filed. Investigators have not publicly said how the cockpit approach was attempted or how the crew responded in the moments that followed.

Key questions remain open. It is unclear whether Gomez-Alberto was intoxicated or joking when he made the alleged bomb claim, and the current status of his removal proceedings and criminal case has not been confirmed. Until the sheriff's office or federal authorities provide more information, the charges and the immigration history are the most solid details available about the man accused.

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Caroline Mercer

World News Correspondent

Caroline Mercer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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