Passenger arrested after claiming bomb and forcing way into cockpit on Newark flight

A United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans ended in a police arrest after a passenger claimed to have a bomb in his backpack and tried to enter the cockpit. The disruption occurred on a plane that departed Monday and arrived in Louisiana on Tuesday.

The aircraft carried 52 people, including 46 passengers and six crew members. Flight crew members restrained the suspect at the rear of the plane while the jet continued its scheduled route. All individuals on board were safe upon landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

The Department of Homeland Security identified the man as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a native of Honduras. Federal officials described him in a Tuesday evening social media post as a criminal illegal alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on him that same day.

Gomez-Alberto’s record includes felony bomb threat, felony threat, terroristic state offenses, and disorderly conduct. He was previously deported twice. US media reports indicate that in January 2020, ICE detained him before a judge released him pending removal proceedings.

Local authorities clarified his location before the flight. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office told NOLA.com that he lived in the Bronx, New York. This detail connects his residence to the origin of the disrupted flight.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s agency stated that criminal illegal aliens attempting to hijack airplanes are not welcome under President Donald Trump. The department used all capital letters for the phrase HIJACK AIRPLANES in its official statement to emphasize the position.

Federal and local authorities are investigating the specific details of the threat and the sequence of events leading to the arrest. The case involves both aviation security protocols and federal immigration enforcement.