Man arrested after attempting to hijack domestic flight in Mexico

A 31-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for attempting to redirect a domestic flight in Mexico to the United States, according to official reports.

The incident occurred on an Airbus A320 traveling from León, Guanajuato, to Tijuana, a city in northwest Mexico. The flight, which took off at 7:17 a.m. local time, was forced to make an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport approximately 45 minutes into the journey.

Authorities have not disclosed the suspect’s motives or any further details about the incident. However, the swift response by the flight crew ensured the safety of passengers and prevented the hijacking attempt from escalating.

“A subject assaulted a flight attendant and attempted to enter the cockpit to divert the flight to the United States,” said a statement from the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection.

However, crew members were able to subdue the man — who was reportedly travelling with family — and issued an alert to conduct an emergency landing in Guadalajara.

A report from flight operator Volaris said “the aggressor told them a close relative had been kidnapped and, upon taking off from Leon, was threatened to be killed if he went to Tijuana.”

Neither statement detailed how many other passengers were aboard the flight.

After the arrest, the flight resumed its journey to the original destination of Tijuana.

Guanajuato is one of the states hit hardest by drug cartel violence, which has grown to include crimes including extortion and kidnapping.

(AFP)