A passenger tried to divert a Mexican flight to the US, saying he was threatened by criminals

A passenger on a domestic flight in Mexico tried to divert the flight to the United States before being stopped by staff, the airline said on social media on Sunday.

Law enforcement officers said on Sunday night that the man said he was threatened by criminals who had kidnapped his relative.

Volaris said in a statement that the incident took place on flight 3041 from El Bajio in the state of Guanajuato near the border of the city of Tijuana on Sunday. Crews were able to detain the passenger before the plane was diverted to Guadalajara in central Mexico.

Videos posted on social media appeared to show the man rushing towards one of the plane’s doors before other passengers got into a fight with him.

When the plane landed in Guadalajara, the passenger was handed over to the authorities.

“The flight crew said the victim said his relative had been kidnapped, and when the flight left Leon, he was threatened with death if he went to Tijuana,” said the Department of Public Security in Mexico in a statement.

Other passengers and crew later continued to their destination in Tijuana on the US border

“Volaris regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation,” the airline said in a statement to X. “For Volaris, the safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority.”

Authorities identified the man by his first name – Mario – and his 31-year-old age. They said he was traveling with his wife and two children.

The airline said it has become a plaintiff to ensure that the passenger faces the full weight of the law.

Attempts to divert or hijack planes have been extremely rare in Mexico, the Associated Press reported. In 2009, a Bolivian religious fanatic hijacked a plane off the coast of Cancun as it landed in Mexico City. All passengers and crew were released unharmed.