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Illegal migrant who tried to hijack a United Airlines flight claimed to be trans and HIV positive — and was granted asylum

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Lefroy, E. (2026, November 11). Illegal migrant who tried to hijack a United Airlines flight claimed to be trans and HIV positive — and was granted asylum. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/11/11/us-news/illegal-migrant-who-tried-to-hijack-a-united-airlines-flight-claimed-to-be-trans-and-hiv-positive-and-was-granted-asylum/

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-11-11 · by Emily Lefroy

Quick Summary

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a 34-year-old Honduran man deported twice from the United States, was granted asylum in 2019 after claiming he faced persecution as a transgender person and that he is HIV positive. He attempted to hijack a United Airlines flight out of New Jersey by threatening to detonate a bomb but was arrested before boarding could complete. Immigration officials stated Gomez-Alberto has multiple felony offenses including bomb threats and terroristic acts, leading Department of Homeland Security to emphasize the crackdown on criminal illegal aliens under the previous administration.
Written by AI on 2026-11-12, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).
See how they differ ↓

AI analysis

Story summary

On November 10, 2026, Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a 34-year-old Honduran national, was arrested after allegedly threatening to detonate a bomb on a United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans. The flight crew reported a passenger disturbance, and Gomez-Alberto claimed to have a bomb, prompting the pilots to issue a hijacking alert. The plane landed safely, and Gomez-Alberto was detained without incident. DHS confirmed that he was previously deported twice from the United States and was granted asylum in 2020 by claiming he faced persecution in Honduras due to being transgender. This incident has raised concerns about asylum fraud and the security of air travel.

Written for “Twice-Deported Illegal Migrant Hijack Attempt” on 2026-11-13, grounded in this article and the 16 other(s) covering the same event.

How they differ

9 outlets covered “Twice-Deported Illegal Migrant Hijack Attempt”.

What each outlet says

One AI summary per outlet of its latest article on this story, written from that article alone and checked against it. Open the article for the outlet's own words.

New York PostThis outlet11 Nov

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a 34-year-old Honduran man deported twice from the United States, was granted asylum in 2019 after claiming he faced persecution as a transgender person and that he is HIV positive. He attempted to hijack a United Airlines flight out of New Jersey by threatening to detonate a bomb but was arrested before boarding could complete. Immigration officials stated Gomez-Alberto has multiple…

Illegal migrant who tried to hijack a United Airlines flight claimed to be trans and HIV positive — and was granted asylum (this article)3 articles from New York Post on this story
Fox News12 Nov

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a 34-year-old Honduran national who attempted to breach the cockpit of a United Airlines flight in November 2019 and was previously deported twice, has been granted asylum status after claiming he faced transgender persecution in Honduras. DHS criticized this decision as exploiting weaknesses in the U.S. asylum system. Gomez-Alberto faces charges including terrorizing passengers and…

Twice-deported United cockpit suspect granted asylum after transgender persecution claim: DHS →4 articles from Fox News on this story
The Daily Wire12 Nov

DHS is investigating Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a Honduran migrant who attempted to hijack a United Airlines flight, for asylum fraud. Gomez-Alberto, who was deported twice before, claimed asylum in 2019, stating he faced persecution as a transgender person in Honduras. He was granted asylum in 2020 but now DHS accuses him of exploiting the asylum system. DHS also notes that under President Trump’s leadership…

Trans Asylum Claim Has DHS Explaining How Hijacking Suspect Was ‘Gaming’ The System →3 articles from The Daily Wire on this story
Daily Mail11 Nov

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, 34, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, was arrested after threatening to detonate a bomb on United Flight 2174 heading to New Orleans. During the flight, he allegedly attempted to storm the cockpit, leading pilots to issue a hijack alert. This incident occurred on Monday night when the plane took off from Newark International Airport and landed safely in New Orleans an hour later…

Illegal migrant arrested for threatening to bomb United Airlines flight to New Orleans before rushing cockpit →2 articles from Daily Mail on this story
Toronto Star11 Nov

A 34-year-old man was arrested after claiming to have a bomb on a flight headed to New Orleans late one evening. He reportedly became irrational during the journey and informed the crew of his claim. The plane landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where authorities took him into custody without any further incident occurring.

A man is arrested after saying he had a bomb while aboard a flight bound for New Orleans →
Just the News11 Nov

Department of Homeland Security reported that Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, an illegal Honduran migrant who had previously been deported twice, was arrested after claiming to have a bomb and attempting to enter the cockpit during a United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans on November 10, 2026. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer for Gomez-Alberto following his arrest by the Jefferson…

DHS says illegal Honduran migrant is accused of trying to storm United cockpit, threatening bomb →
Show 3 more outlets
Global News11 Nov

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, a 34-year-old man from Honduras with a history of criminal offenses including felony bomb threats, was arrested after allegedly claiming to have a bomb on United Airlines flight 2174 from Newark, New Jersey, to New Orleans. The plane landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and Gomez-Alberto was booked for communicating false information about arson and…

Man arrested after alleged bomb threat on flight bound for New Orleans →
The Blaze11 Nov

Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, an illegal immigrant from Honduras with a history of violent offenses including felony bomb threats, was arrested after making alleged bomb threats on a United Airlines flight from Newark to New Orleans and attempting to enter the cockpit. This incident occurred on Monday at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport; he had previously been deported twice in 2011 and 2014 but…

Honduran illegal alien who TERRORIZED flight with bomb threat had been deported TWICE before, feds claim →

Where they agree and split

Framing

How the first headlines put it

A claim to check1
Attributed to a source2
Stated as fact4
The headlines (7)

Twice-Deported Illegal Tries To Storm Cockpit, Claims He Has Bomb On United Flight The Daily Wire · a claim to check

Twice-deported illegal immigrant accused of trying to storm United cockpit, threatening bomb: DHS Fox News · attributed to a source

DHS says illegal Honduran migrant is accused of trying to storm United cockpit, threatening bomb Just the News · attributed to a source

United flight from Newark to New Orleans sent out hijacking distress call after passenger tried to storm cockpit Daily Mail · stated as fact

A man is arrested after saying he had a bomb while aboard a flight bound for New Orleans Toronto Star · stated as fact

Illegal immigrant ID’d as United flier accused of bomb threat, hijack attempt — was previously busted by ICE but judge let him go New York Post · stated as fact

ICE issues detainer for Honduran who allegedly tried to storm cockpit midflight Washington Examiner · stated as fact

The full story: what happened, how it changed, and all 17 articles →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans strongly right and hedges 27% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Daily Wire
Hedges 7 of 16 claims Outlet record 59/100
New York Post
Hedges 2 of 8 claims Outlet record 66/100
“While both articles discuss the same individual (Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto) and his actions on a United Airlines flight, they describe different occurrences: one covers his bomb threat and hijack attempt, while the other details his previous asylum claim based on being transgender.”
Fox News
Hedges 4 of 20 claims Outlet record 67/100
Fox News
Hedges 4 of 19 claims Outlet record 67/100
“While both articles discuss the same individual attempting to enter a United Airlines cockpit after making bomb threats, Article B focuses on the background of Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto and how he obtained asylum in the past, which is a different but related event.”
Fox News
Centre further left than this Hedges 3 of 18 claims Outlet record 67/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of Rony Gomez-Alberto's actions and background but not the same specific incident. Article A focuses on the alleged hijack scare, while Article B discusses his asylum claim and evasion of deportation.”
Blaze Media
Leans strongly right Hedges 6 of 18 claims Outlet record 94/100
“The articles describe different aspects of Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto's history, including his asylum claim and recent arrest for bomb threats on a flight, but they do not both refer to the same specific incident or event.”
Washington Examiner
Hedges 2 of 2 claims Outlet record 68/100
“While both articles discuss Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto's alleged attempt to storm a cockpit on a United Airlines flight, Article B covers additional information about his past claims for asylum and evasion of deportation, which are different events.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 4 of 16 claims Outlet record 70/100
“Article A describes the specific incident of Gomez-Alberto threatening to bomb a United Airlines flight and rushing the cockpit, while Article B discusses his background and how he evaded deportation previously.”
The Daily Wire
Hedges 3 of 14 claims Outlet record 59/100
“While both articles describe the same individual attempting to storm a cockpit on a United flight from Newark to New Orleans, Article B focuses more on the background and legal history of the suspect rather than the specific incident described in Article A.”
New York Post
Centre further left than this Hedges 3 of 19 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A describes the specific incident of the alleged hijacking attempt on United Airlines flight 2174, while Article B focuses on the background and evasion of deportation by the suspect, Rony Gomez-Alberto.”

Story

Twice-Deported Illegal Migrant Hijack Attempt
Crime & Law · 17 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
11
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
27%
3 of 11 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly right
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
17
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-12 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 19323 article(s) · 39 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 39 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Emily Lefroy
9 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
Honduran Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, who was deported from the United States twice, was granted asylum in 2020 after alleging that he would persecuted back home for being transgender, law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire.
Culper Research published a report titled “NVIDIA (NVDA): The China Problem” in May 2026, which warned of concerning rumors about Nvidia’s chief executive and the executive at Singapore-based Megaspeed.
In 2025, more than three dozen live beetles hidden in Japanese snacks were intercepted before they could be smuggled into the US.
She added that Trump’s immigration crackdown may have also played a role in the dramatic swing.
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced the shocking update on Thursday, revealing there are “indications” Thomas Markle Jr., 60, may also be involved in the disturbing allegations. “To accuse the father only is only half the police work,” Remulla said, as per News5 Philippines, confirming a witness alleged that underage girls had been brought to a residence that’s linked to the investigation.
“She said she had been in a mental institution before and she would be happy to go back if it meant she got to kill me,” Jewish activist Lizzie Benichou told Fox and Friends on Monday.
Also by Emily Lefroy
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 9 articles by Emily Lefroy →

Topics

Honduran New Jersey The Daily Wire United Airlines the United States

Subjects

United Airlines ORG · 3× Gomez-Alberto PERSON · 2× Gomez-Alberto’s PERSON · 2× the United States GPE · 2× El Indio GPE · 1× Honduran NORP · 1× New Jersey GPE · 1× Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto PERSON · 1× The Daily Wire ORG · 1× The Post ORG · 1×

Narrative

Honduran Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, who was deported from the United States twice, was granted asylum in 2020 after alleging that he would persecuted back home for being transgender, law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire.
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-12
Honduran Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, who was deported from the United States twice, was granted asylum in 2020 after alleging that he would persecuted back home for being transgender, law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire.

Claims (11 extracted, 3 hedged)

The lunatic illegal migrant who allegedly tried to hijack a United Airlines flight out of New Jersey by threatening to detonate a bomb reportedly evaded deportation in 2019 by claiming he was trans. uncertain
he → try → 2019
Honduran Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, who was deported from the United States twice, was granted asylum in 2020 after alleging that he would persecuted back home for being transgender, law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire. asserted
sources → deport → Wire
Immigration officials previously told The Post that Gomez-Alberto, 34, was arrested twice in the US and deported – first in September 2011 near El Indio, Texas, and again in October 2014 in Columbus, New Mexico. asserted
Alberto → tell → Columbus
The slippery migrant managed to make his way back into the US a third time in 2019, entering through a port of entry in San Ysidro, California, where he said he was transgender and feared returning to his native Honduras. asserted
he → manage → Honduras
Gomez-Alberto claimed he would be targeted over his sexuality, and reportedly told federal authorities he was HIV positive. uncertain
he → claim → authorities
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Gomez-Alberto’s criminal history includes felony bomb threat, felony threat — terroristic state offenses — and disorderly conduct. asserted
history → say → threat
He was arrested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Monday night after he attempted to storm the cockpit of United Airlines Flight 2174 and claimed he was holding a bomb. asserted
he → arrest → bomb
“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are NOT welcome in the United States,” the spokesperson said in a statement following Gomez-Alberto’s arrest. asserted
spokesperson → say → arrest
The plane’s 46 passengers and six crew members safely touched down in New Orleans around 11:15 p.m., according to a United Airlines spokesperson. uncertain
passengers → touch → spokesperson
Air Traffic Control audio revealed the nutjob was detained in the back of the plane after being convinced to head to the rear by the flight crew to allow the aircraft to land safely. asserted
aircraft → reveal → crew
“He changed into all black before he started trying to reach the cockpit,” local authorities are heard in the audio recording. asserted
authorities → change → recording
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