ICE Asks Local Authorities Not to Release Honduran Man Who Tried to Storm a Cockpit: He Had Been Deported Twice Before
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on November 12 that on November 9, Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, an illegal alien from Honduras, attempted to storm the cockpit of a United Airlines plane traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to New Orleans, Louisiana, claiming to have a bomb. After the plane landed, he was taken into custody and charged with felony bomb threat, terroristic threats, and disorderly conduct. On November 10, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer with local authorities requesting that they not release this public safety threat without notifying ICE.
DHS said Gomez-Alberto had previously been deported twice, illegally entered the country a third time and claimed asylum, saying he was afraid he would be killed because he is transgender, and a judge granted him asylum, allowing him to stay in the country. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the man attempted to storm the cockpit, hijack a plane and claimed he had a bomb, thanked law enforcement for putting him behind bars, and said a weak asylum system had allowed a twice-deported criminal to game the system; under President Trump's leadership, he said, ICE is strengthening the asylum system to put the safety of American citizens first and crack down on fraudsters.
From January 20, 2025, to November 10, 2026, ICE arrested 2,312 known or suspected terrorists and deported 2,157 of them, DHS said. In May, DHS released a directive instructing ICE to take additional steps to crack down on fraudulent asylum claims, including anti-fraud policies enforcing 8 U.S.C. 1324c(d) on document fraud, giving ICE attorneys greater authority in immigration court; asylum fraud can also be prosecuted as a felony under 18 U.S.C. 1546 and 1001.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国土安全部总部大楼（资料图）。美国国土安全部官方照片，公共领域。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Homeland Security headquarters (file photo). U.S. Department of Homeland Security photo, public domain.
