A Mexican national has pleaded guilty to attempting to stab a fellow passenger in the eye on a flight bound for Las Vegas. Julio Alvarez Lopez admitted he constructed a weapon from three pens bound together with hair bands before boarding the Seattle-to-Las Vegas flight on January 24, 2024.
According to federal prosecutors, Lopez attacked a passenger seated across the aisle approximately 30 minutes before the plane was scheduled to land. Witnesses reported seeing "blood everywhere" as the victim's wife intervened to protect her husband and their 7-year-old son, also sustaining injuries during the struggle.
Following the assault, Lopez reportedly walked toward the front of the aircraft, repeatedly stating, "I'll only talk to the FBI." A law enforcement officer on board ordered Lopez to sit, and he was subsequently restrained by other passengers using flex cuffs until the flight landed at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. He was then taken into custody by local authorities.
During an interview with the FBI, Lopez, who was granted lawful permanent resident status in 2018, stated he believed the victim had been following him and was associated with a cartel. He admitted he intended to kill the passenger by stabbing him through the eye to reach his brain. Court documents indicate the victim suffered injuries requiring stitches.
Witnesses on the flight observed Lopez behaving erratically before the attack, including repeatedly putting on and taking off gloves, accessing his backpack, and avoiding eye contact. He had reportedly gone to the restroom twice before initiating the assault.
Lopez told investigators he was seeking asylum in the United States and believed he had been pursued by the mafia for several months. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22.
