Airliner, 156 Passengers, Diverted To El Paso – No Threat Found

The FBI received a threat against a passenger airliner bound for Mexico, forcing them to redirect it to El Paso International Airport.

The flight originated in Minneapolis/St. Paul and was headed for Mazatlan, Mexico. No safety issues or other danger was found and everyone was back on their way fairly quickly.

According to NBC, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John Morales said the El Paso FBI office was notified of the incident by the FBI’s National Threat Operation Center at about 4:15 Wednesday afternoon.

Their investigation determined there was no credible threat to those aboard Sun Country Airlines flight 593.

Thank you to our partners with Sun Country Airlines, El Paso Police Department, Sun Metro, and El Paso International Airport for assisting us with the diversion and helping make the passengers feel safe at the airport. FBI El Paso wants to thank the 156 passengers for your patience as our team conducted interviews to determine the circumstances behind the reported security concern," said Morales. - KVIA

El Paso International Airport has seen numerous incidents over the years. In fact, the first highjacking to occur in the USA made a pit stop ... and ended ... here in 1961.

A father and son team highjacked a flight to Houston and demanded to be taken to Cuba saying they were "fed up with being Americans". El Paso got involved when the jet landed here to get fuel.

FBI agents disabled the plane as it tried to takeoff by shooting the tires with machine guns. They eventually got all passengers and crew safely off the pane and arrested  both highjackers.

After all hostages had been released, the last one left on board ... a Border Patrol officer named Leonard Gilman ... knocked the s**t out of the father.