Alberto R. H., also known as Alberto HRom, a 28-year-old YouTuber with 1.3 million followers, was arrested for creating explosive substances like gunpowder and homemade flamethrowers in his videos. Despite claiming to have a background in industrial engineering, he was charged with four crimes, including illegal manufacturing of explosives and endangerment due to the dangerous nature of his activities. His videos had accumulated over 106 million views online, gaining popularity for tutorials on creating explosives.
Originally starting his YouTube channel as an educational platform for chemistry and physics demonstrations, Alberto switched focus in recent years to creating explosive substances in a separate successful channel. He charged subscribers a monthly fee of three euros and had over 1.3 million followers on his two YouTube channels and more than 300,000 on Instagram. The Guardia Civil found no other sources of income or employment for Alberto apart from his videos, leading to his channel on explosive manufacturing being shut down.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Sputnik, began in January 2022 after a 22-year-old was arrested in Pontevedra for clandestinely creating explosive substances inspired by Alberto’s videos. By analyzing the videos for details like the northern Spanish landscape and industrial chimneys, investigators were led to a farm owned by Alberto’s family in Cantabria. Here, he prepared explosive mixtures and filmed demonstrations of their power, including using over 30 kilos of thermite to melt metal and cause fires.
In one video, Alberto destroyed his own car with thermite near a valuable forest area, causing a fire that required firefighters to intervene. In another, he demonstrated the creation of napalm and a homemade flamethrower. The Guardia Civil conducted two raids following his arrest, seizing over 20 kilos of chemicals purchased online or in laxly regulated Spanish stores for making explosives. To remove the danger, the Explosive Deactivation Technicians were called in, and the investigation revealed six illegal explosive operations this year, with Alberto’s case being the most prominent due to his widespread following.
With minors among his followers, concerns arose about potential criminal or even terrorist connections. Alberto’s activities highlighted the ease of acquiring potentially dangerous precursor chemicals, despite strict regulations requiring a professional license for purchase. The Guardia Civil urged caution in following online tutorials, emphasizing the risk posed by unregulated materials and the importance of proper safety measures in handling such substances. Alberto HRom was released pending the investigation’s conclusion, but the case raised awareness about the dangers of promoting and producing explosive materials through online platforms.
