Bronx man arrested after allegedly claiming he had bomb on United flight to New Orleans

NEW YORK -- A Bronx man was arrested after allegedly claiming he had a bomb aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans, prompting a law enforcement response when the plane landed.

Authorities identified the suspect as Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, 34. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said he began acting irrationally late Monday during the flight and allegedly told crew members he had a bomb on board.

The United Airlines flight landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where Gomez-Alberto was taken into custody without incident. Authorities said the Boeing 737 Max 9 was carrying 46 passengers and six crew members.

Gomez-Alberto was transported to the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center and booked on charges of communicating false information of planned arson and terrorizing, according to the sheriff's office.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it plans to investigate the incident.

United Airlines said the aircraft landed safely "following a disruptive incident involving a passenger onboard" and that law enforcement officers met the plane upon arrival.

The Department of Homeland Security said Gomez-Alberto, a Honduran immigrant, had previously been removed from the United States twice and reentered the country illegally on multiple occasions. According to DHS, he was deported after crossing the border illegally near El Indio, Texas, in 2011 and again after entering near Columbus, New Mexico, in 2014.

DHS said Gomez-Alberto illegally reentered the country a third time in 2019 near San Ysidro, California. After being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol, he was released from custody in January 2020 pending removal proceedings before an immigration judge.

Officials said Gomez-Alberto's most recent residence was in the Bronx. He remains in custody in Louisiana without bond, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer against him.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kelety reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed.)