A 31-year-old man was arrested on Sunday afternoon after attempting to divert a domestic flight in Mexico to the United States, forcing an emergency landing.
The Volaris Airbus A320 had departed from León, Guanajuato, at 7:17 a.m. local time, heading to Tijuana in northwestern Mexico. Approximately 45 minutes into the flight, it was rerouted to Guadalajara International Airport after the man tried to redirect it.
According to the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection, the suspect attacked a flight attendant and attempted to breach the cockpit, demanding the plane be diverted to the U.S. Reports indicated that the man, traveling with family, claimed a close relative had been kidnapped and threatened with death if he continued to Tijuana.
Crew members restrained the man and issued an emergency alert, leading to the unscheduled landing. The suspect was arrested in Guadalajara, and the flight later resumed its journey to Tijuana without further disruptions.
Guanajuato, the departure location, is one of Mexico’s regions most impacted by drug cartel violence, which includes widespread extortion and kidnapping.