HOUSTON — Abdulrahman Oriyomi faces a felony charge of impairment or interruption of the operation of a critical infrastructure facility. An arrest warrant for Oriyomi, 25, was filed on June 2, 2026, following an incident at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Oriyomi arrived at the airport on the morning of May 18, 2026. Court filings indicate he approached the Terminal C security checkpoint and delayed interacting with a Transportation Security Administration agent. After experiencing difficulty with a boarding pass, surveillance footage shows Oriyomi was escorted to a secondary TSA screening booth, photographed, and permitted to enter the terminal. Court filings state he attempted to scan a boarding pass twice without success at gate E16 before being turned away around 7:10 a.m.
Shortly after 9:00 a.m., surveillance video shows Oriyomi entered the boarding queue for United Airlines flight 469, bound for Los Angeles. Investigators report Oriyomi bypassed distracted gate agents, walked down the jetway, and entered the aircraft. When asked for identification by a flight attendant, Oriyomi provided the name Mr. Lopez.
United staff verified the passenger manifest, found no reservation for Mr. Lopez, and directed the aircraft back to the gate. Houston Police, the FBI, Houston Airport Systems, and the TSA dispatched personnel and an explosive detection K9 unit to the aircraft. All passengers were required to disembark while authorities conducted an explosive search of the cabin. Security records determined the boarding pass lacked required information and contained a forged QR code. This security incident delayed the departure of United flight 469 by approximately three hours.