Mexico City: A 31-year-old man was arrested on Sunday after he attempted to hijack a domestic flight in Mexico and redirect it to the United States. The incident occurred on an Airbus A320 en route from Leon, Guanajuato, to Tijuana. The flight, which had taken off around 7:17 am local time, was forced to make an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport just 45 minutes into the journey.According to a statement from Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection, the man allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and tried to enter the cockpit in an attempt to divert the plane. The crew members acted quickly, subduing the man and issuing an alert for an emergency landing in Guadalajara.Flight operator Volaris later reported that the assailant claimed his close relative had been kidnapped. The man reportedly said that upon departure from Leon, he was threatened with death if he did not divert the flight. No further details were provided about the number of passengers on board the flight.Following the man’s arrest, the flight was cleared to resume its journey, eventually arriving at its original destination of Tijuana.Guanajuato, the region from which the flight originated, has been heavily affected by violent drug cartel activity, including crimes like kidnapping and extortion. Authorities continue to investigate the incident as part of broader security efforts in the region.
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