Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto, who was arrested after allegedly saying he had a bomb aboard a flight, had been granted asylum after identifying as transgender, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gomez-Alberto allegedly tried to enter the cockpit of a United Airlines flight traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday. The pilots activated a hijacking alarm, and he was taken into custody after the plane landed.
The Department of Homeland Security said Gomez-Alberto had been deported twice after entering the United States illegally. After being apprehended a third time, however, he was allowed to remain in the country.
ICE said he identified as transgender in his asylum application. In it, he wrote that he feared being killed by private citizens or police in both countries because of his gender identity. He also reportedly said he feared for his life in Honduras and told authorities he was HIV-positive and used marijuana.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Gomez-Alberto had been allowed into the country because, in his view, the asylum system was weak and had been exploited. Mullin added that Gomez-Alberto was now in custody.
United Airlines said the plane was a Boeing 737 Max 9 carrying 46 passengers and six crew members.
ICE said it had asked local authorities not to release Gomez-Alberto without first notifying the agency. The agency also cited its arrests of people suspected of terrorism and said it was focused on public safety and preventing abuse of the asylum system.
