CNN, MS NOW, NYT turn blind eye on illegal immigrant accused of bomb threat, attempting to storm cockpit

A Honduran man who had twice been deported was arrested after allegedly making a false bomb threat and trying to enter the cockpit of a United Airlines flight. The article says several major US news organisations gave the incident little or no coverage, raising questions about how they prioritise aviation security stories.

The flight landed at New Orleans airport on Monday night, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested Rony Alexander Gomez-Alberto. The article’s review found no coverage through Wednesday on CNN or MS NOW, and none in ABC or NBC national newscasts; CBS mentioned it only on an early morning programme, while The New York Times had no report as of Thursday morning. The Department of Homeland Security said ICE lodged a detainer on 10 November; it says Gomez-Alberto was deported after apprehensions in 2011 and 2014, and released from ICE custody in 2020 following an immigration judge’s order.