A passenger who allegedly made a bomb threat aboard an Alaska Airlines flight from Atlanta to Seattle on July 4 has claimed he did so because he feared he would be killed by members of a “powerful cartel.”
During the flight, Mr. Scott, a Kentucky native, handed a flight attendant a note saying he had homemade explosives in his carry-on and a detonator on him, the court documents alleged.
“This is not a joke,” the note read. “Several pounds of homemade explosives are in my carry-on bag. I have a detonator with me. Handle this matter carefully and exactly how I say, otherwise, I will detonate the explosives and kill everyone on board.”
Mr. Scott further demanded the flight attendant alert the pilot of the note and “keep the issue to yourself.”
“Many innocent lives are in your hands, do as I demand and everyone will live. Deviate and the consequences will be deadly for all of us. I have nothing left to lose,” he wrote, court documents state.
He also demanded the plane be rerouted from its destination in Seattle.
“Any other airport will do,” he wrote. “If this plane lands in Seattle, I will kill everyone onboard. Change our destination and I will refrain from detonating the bomb. I repeat, if I see us land in Seattle, I will kill every soul on this plane.”
The flight was subsequently diverted to Spokane International Airport in Washington where it landed without incident. A search by a bomb squad found no explosives on the plane, prosecutors said.
‘Targeted by Sinaloa Cartel’
Mr. Scott was subsequently arrested and is being held in the Spokane County Jail.During police interviews after his arrest, Mr. Scott confirmed he had written the note and knew the information in it was false and that he had not placed bombs on the plane.
He told law enforcement officials that he had hoped the false information provided in the note would divert Flight 334 and lead to his arrest because he was being “targeted by the Sinaloa Cartel.”
The passenger told police that members of the Cartel were “waiting for him to land in Seattle in order to torture and kill” him, court documents show.
He also allegedly told police that he had contemplated other ways in which to ensure the flight was diverted if his initial plan failed, including “assaulting a flight attendant or opening a cabin door while in flight,” prosecutors said.
It is unclear why Mr. Scott believes members of the Cartel were waiting for him.
Mr. Scott “stated he did not think of a more reasonable approach such as contacting law enforcement personnel at the airport to ask for help or assistance,” court documents state.
Mr. Scott has been charged with conveying false or misleading information. He appeared at federal court in Spokane on Thursday. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000 fine if convicted.
It was not immediately clear if he has legal representation.
DOJ Crackdown on Sinaloa Cartel
The Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel was previously led by Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” who is serving a life sentence in the federal supermax prison near Florence, Colorado, after being convicted in 2019 on drug, firearms, and money laundering charges.In a statement announcing the charges, the DOJ said the Sinaloa Cartel is “one of the most powerful drug cartels in the world and is largely responsible for the manufacturing and importing of fentanyl for distribution in the United States” with the help of “Chinese precursor chemical and pharmaceutical companies.”
Police searched the plane after it landed and ultimately found no bomb devices on the aircraft. Passengers were allowed to reboard roughly 2 hours later and no arrests have been made although the incident is still being investigated, The Seattle Times reports.
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson confirmed the flight was rerouted in a statement to the publication.
“We place no priority higher than safety and we’re grateful for patience and understanding during this delayed journey to Hawaii,” the spokesperson said.
