Man Arrested Over Attempt to Hijack Mexican Plane to the US
A 31-year-old man was arrested on Sunday after attempting to hijack a Volaris flight from Mexico with the intention of diverting it to the United States.
According to a statement from the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection, the man assaulted a flight attendant and tried to enter the cockpit in an attempt to change the flight’s course. The Airbus A320 had taken off from León, Guanajuato, at 7:17 am local time, bound for Tijuana, but was forced to make an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport after about 45 minutes in the air.
The man, who was reportedly traveling with his family, allegedly claimed that a close relative had been kidnapped and threatened with death if he continued his flight to Tijuana. The crew managed to subdue the attacker and issued an alert, prompting the emergency landing in Guadalajara.
After the incident, the flight continued to its original destination. No information was provided on the number of passengers aboard at the time.
Guanajuato, the man’s departure point, is one of the regions in Mexico most affected by violence linked to drug cartels, including crimes like extortion and kidnapping.
