Passenger attempts to hijack Mexican flight, divert it to US

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - A passenger on board a domestic flight in Mexico attempted to forcibly divert the plane to the US but was stopped by flight crew and passengers.

After being detained, the man allegedly confessed that the failed bid was triggered after a close relative of his was kidnapped and his life was threatened by criminals.

On Sunday morning, Volaris, one of the country’s main airlines, said that on flight 3401 from El Bajio in central Mexico to the border city of Tijuana in Baja California, the 31-year-old man attempted to divert the plane to the United States "through the use of force.”

He attacked a flight attendant and attempted to break into the cockpit and take control of the plane before being restrained.

The plane made an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport, around 1,380 miles (2,220 kilometers) from its destination, where members of the National Guard were already waiting for him.

The man was traveling with his wife and two children and could face three to 20 years in prison as Volaris decided to press charges against him.