The Spanish Civil Guard arrested 28-year-old YouTuber Alberto R. H., known online as "HRom" or "albertohrom," in the city of Castro Urdiales, Cantabria. According to EL PAÍS, the arrest was part of an operation targeting individuals involved in the illegal manufacture of explosive and incendiary mixtures and devices.
HRom's YouTube channel featured over 60 tutorial videos detailing the manufacturing process of explosive and incendiary compounds. The videos amassed more than 106 million views and attracted over 1.3 million subscribers, posing a risk to public safety.
According to 20 Minutos, his clandestine workshop was located on a family-owned estate near a residential area, an industrial park, and a forested area. This proximity posed a "real danger" of accidental explosion, endangering his life, family members, and neighbors.
One of the most concerning videos showed the YouTuber manufacturing over 30 kilos of thermite, a pyrotechnic compound with a high incendiary capacity that can reach temperatures exceeding 2,500 degrees Celsius, capable of melting any type of metal. Mundo Deportivo reported that he used this thermite to destroy a vehicle on his property. The demonstration was performed near a forest area.
In another video, Alberto provided lessons on how to construct handmade devices, including a homemade flamethrower using napalm. He demonstrated the effectiveness and range of the devicey.
Milenio reported that more than 20 kilos of chemical substances were seized, including 10 kilos of homemade explosives. The substances included precursors and other chemicals such as chlorate, gunpowder, and thermite.
This was not the first time authorities in Spain linked dangerous activities to the YouTuber's content. In 2022, during Operation Boxes, a 22-year-old man in Pontevedra was arrested for illegal manufacture of explosives after admitting to following tutorials from the YouTuber's channel. El Observador noted that the individual was later sentenced to one year and six months in prison.
"The videos published by the detained YouTuber posed a serious risk to citizen security due to the danger that some of the millions of people who had viewed his tutorials would try to manufacture those same explosives for illicit purposes," the Civil Guard stated, according to La Razón.
Alberto defended his actions. "I am a good guy making educational, informative, and entertaining videos," he said in a video response, according to El Confidencial. "Last week they did a raid on me. 18 Civil Guards from all over Spain came and found nothing," he stated. He added, "I was super chill with them and they knew I wasn't any terrorist."
His followers quickly responded with support, using the hashtag "FreeHRom" alongside messages encouraging the YouTuber and defending his innocence regarding activities they did not believe should be deemed a crime, as mentioned by Mundo Deportivo.
Some of the YouTuber's recent content shifted towards safer scientific subjects, with titles like "How does a dehumidifier work?" and "Can water freezing be avoided?."
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq