A disruptive passenger threatened to break a flight attendant's jaw then yelled in the captain's face after abusing fellow travelers, FBI says

Yahoo

13-02-2025

Prosecutors say an airline passenger threatened fellow travelers, flight attendants, and the captain.
He also mocked Jewish travelers during the flight from Miami to New Jersey, an affidavit says.
Luis Vaquero was arrested and charged in a New Jersey court with interfering with a flight crew.
An airline passenger has been criminally charged after being accused of threatening the flight's staff and passengers.
Luis Vaquero, 27, was flying from Miami to Newark, New Jersey, on Sunday when he became abusive toward fellow passengers and staff, per the complaint.
An FBI special agent's affidavit says that during the flight, Vaquero was "making threats of physical violence against a disabled minor" and "mocking a group of Jewish passengers."
The affidavit adds that a flight attendant who observed Vaquero's behavior declined to serve him alcohol after the flight's beverage service had ended. The affidavit says that Vaquero then told the staff member, "You better watch out, shit's gonna happen to you."
The affidavit says Vaquero continued to be disruptive throughout the three-hour flight, prompting the crew to ask that law enforcement be present upon arrival.
"It all culminated in a terrifying attack and attempted breach of the flight deck when witnesses say he banged on the cockpit door and confronted the pilot," Terence G. Reilly, the acting head of the FBI's Newark office said in a press release.
After the captain announced over the public address system that a passenger would be removed by law enforcement, Vaquero got up and started banging on the cockpit door while the plane was taxiing, the affidavit says.
"Upon arrival at the gate, the captain emerged from the flight deck, after which Vaquero approached the captain, screaming and threatening him until law enforcement boarded the plane and escorted Vaquero off the plane," the affidavit says.
"While issuing these threats, Vaquero's face was approximately six inches from the captain's face."
In videos obtained by law enforcement, Vauqero is also said to have threatened to break a flight attendant's jaw and used a racial slur.
The charge of interfering with a flight crew carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
"We are committed to keeping the skies safe for flying and will prosecute those who criminally interfere with the professionals responsible for ensuring passenger safety," said Vikas Khanna, the acting US attorney for New Jersey, in the press release.
It is unclear which airline the incident occurred on. American Airlines, United Airlines, and Spirit operate daily flights between Miami and Newark.
None of the three airlines immediately responded to requests for comment.
Read the original article on Business Insider