DHS Accuses Asylum Seeker of Hijacking Flight and Fraud

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A Honduran migrant accused of attempting to hijack a United Airlines flight has been accused by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of asylum fraud. Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a twice-deported migrant, allegedly claimed he had a bomb and tried to storm the cockpit of United Flight 2174 from Newark to New Orleans on Monday night.

Asylum Claim and Past Deportations

It was later revealed that Gomez-Alberto had crossed the southern border illegally in 2011 and 2014, both times being deported. When he arrived at the border for the third time in 2019, he was allowed to enter after claiming he needed asylum and feared returning to his home country, where he said he faced persecution for being transgender.

He was granted asylum in 2020 based on the transgender claim, according to a law enforcement source. Now, DHS is accusing Gomez-Alberto of ‘gaming a weak asylum system.’

Flight Incident and Arrest

Gomez-Alberto was detained in the back of the plane after the flight crew convinced him to move away from the cockpit so the plane could land safely in New Orleans, according to the New York Post, citing air traffic control audio. He changed into all black before attempting to reach the cockpit, local authorities said in the audio.

Authorities arrested Gomez-Alberto once the plane landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The flight, carrying 46 passengers and six crew members, landed safely following a disruptive incident involving a passenger onboard, United Airlines stated.

Charges and Legal Actions

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office booked Gomez-Alberto on charges of communicating false information of planned arson and terrorizing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later lodged a detainer, requesting local authorities in Louisiana to transfer him to federal custody upon any future release.

DHS spokespersons emphasized the agency’s efforts to strengthen the asylum system and combat fraud, citing President Trump’s administration’s record of arresting 2,312 known or suspected terrorists.

Source: Daily Wire

Written by

Connor Davis