Jefferson Parish Deputies Arrest Man After United Flight Bomb Claim at MSY

The Department of Homeland Security says the man accused of storming the cockpit on a United flight from Newark was deported twice before. Jefferson Parish deputies arrested him without incident when the plane landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport late Monday night.

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, 34, was booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center after allegedly telling crew members he had a bomb. Updated reporting Tuesday evening says he is being held without bond.

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What Happened on United Flight 2174

United flight 2174, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, carried 46 passengers and six crew members from Newark. The sheriff’s office says the man began acting irrationally around 11:20 p.m. and told crew he had a bomb on board.

He is accused of storming the cockpit, and United put out a hijack alert for the plane. Flight-tracking accounts say the pilots squawked 7500. That transponder code alerts air traffic control to unlawful interference, such as a hijacking.

United said the plane landed safely after a “disruptive incident involving a passenger onboard.” Passengers were taken to the terminal. The Federal Aviation Administration said it plans to investigate.

What DHS Says About His Immigration History

DHS says Gomez-Alberto crossed the Texas border illegally in 2011 and was deported. He re-entered illegally through New Mexico in 2014, according to the agency, and was deported a second time.

DHS says he entered the country illegally a third time in 2019 and was arrested by Border Patrol. The agency says he was released from custody after an immigration judge ordered his release.

Authorities said Gomez-Alberto was living in New York and is not a U.S. citizen. The sheriff’s office also said he is wanted by federal immigration authorities.

Charges and What Happens Next in Jefferson Parish

Updated reporting says Gomez-Alberto has been charged with felony bomb threat, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. The sheriff’s office earlier announced booking charges of communicating false information of planned arson and terrorizing.

The charges are allegations, and he has not been convicted of any crime. Authorities earlier said a bond must first be set in Jefferson Parish before he could face any potential federal charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana will decide whether to file federal charges, the FBI said.

Willfully conveying a bomb threat is a federal crime that carries up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors cited that penalty in a 2025 case involving a threat to the same airport. No federal charges have been announced in this case.