United Airlines Passenger Claims to Have Bomb, Attempts to Enter Cockpit

A passenger aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans reportedly attempted to enter the cockpit while claiming to be carrying a bomb. A hijacking alert was issued following the incident, and the suspect was taken into custody after the aircraft landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

The suspect, identified as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, is a Honduran national who had previously been deported from the United States twice, according to information confirmed to Fox News by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He faces felony charges related to a bomb threat, a terror threat and disturbing the peace.

According to DHS, Gomez-Alberto entered the United States illegally through the Texas border in 2011 and was subsequently deported. He re-entered the country through New Mexico in 2014 and was deported for a second time. In 2019, he allegedly entered the United States illegally for a third time. Although he was apprehended by Border Patrol agents, he was released following a decision by an immigration judge.

Gomez-Alberto is reportedly being held in custody without bond in Louisiana.