Passenger Arrested After Bomb Claim on Newark-New Orleans Flight
The passenger began acting irrationally late in the flight and informed crew members that he was carrying an explosive device, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The aircraft landed safely in New Orleans, where officers arrested him without incident. United said law enforcement met the plane when it arrived; the Boeing 737 Max 9 carried 46 passengers and six crew members.
The Department of Homeland Security identified the man as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a Honduran national. DHS said he had been deported twice and had re-entered the United States after each deportation. It said he crossed the Texas border in 2011, was deported, re-entered through New Mexico in 2014 and was deported again, then entered the country in 2019 and was released after an immigration judge ordered his release.
The sheriff’s office said he was booked on charges of communicating false information about planned arson and terrorizing. DHS said he was also charged with a felony bomb threat and disorderly conduct, and was being held without bond in Louisiana.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to investigate the incident. Authorities have not provided further details.
Bomb-Threat Arrest Raises Questions About Immigration Detention
A bomb threat aboard a passenger plane ended with a safe landing and an arrest in New Orleans. The case also highlights the consequences of a system in which a man DHS says had been deported twice was later released after an immigration judge ordered his release.
The 34-year-old passenger allegedly told crew members he had a bomb during the November 9 flight from Newark. The aircraft reached its destination without incident at the airport named for Louis Armstrong in New Orleans, and local authorities took him into custody. The Boeing 737 Max 9 had 46 passengers and six crew members.
DHS identified the man as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto and said he entered the country in 2011, was deported, re-entered in 2014 and was deported again. DHS said he entered again in 2019 and was released after an immigration judge ordered it.
The sheriff’s office said he was booked on charges of communicating false information about planned arson and terrorizing. DHS listed a felony bomb threat and disorderly conduct among the charges and said he was held without bond. The FAA plans to investigate the incident.
Twice-Deported Honduran Arrested After United Flight Bomb Threat
A man DHS says entered the United States illegally three times was arrested after an alleged bomb threat aboard a United Airlines flight. The case underscores the stakes of immigration enforcement when a person previously deported is later released and, authorities say, re-enters the country.
The 34-year-old passenger allegedly told crew members he had a bomb during the November 9 flight from Newark to New Orleans. The aircraft arrived without incident at the New Orleans airport named for Louis Armstrong, where authorities arrested him. It carried 46 passengers and six crew members.
DHS identified the man as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a Honduran national. The agency said he crossed into Texas in 2011 and was deported, re-entered through New Mexico in 2014 and was deported again, then entered in 2019 and was released after an immigration judge ordered his release.
The sheriff’s office said he was booked on charges of communicating false information about planned arson and terrorizing. DHS also cited a felony bomb-threat charge and disorderly conduct, and said he was being held without bond. The FAA plans to investigate.
Reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Townhall.
