Overview
- A Frontier Airlines passenger identified as Juan Gabriel Reyes attempted to open an emergency exit and pushed on the cockpit door before grabbing and strangling an off‑duty flight attendant, forcing a diversion to Miami.
- Crew members and several passengers restrained Reyes using plastic flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders, and a bystander video of the confrontation circulated on social media.
- The plane landed at Miami International Airport around 11:55 p.m., and Miami‑Dade deputies arrested Reyes before turning him over to the FBI for federal questioning.
- Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida charged Reyes with interfering with a flight crew and assault, and he has been assigned a federal public defender but has not entered a plea.
- Regulators say the case highlights a broader rise in unruly passenger reports to the FAA and may prompt closer federal enforcement of on‑board safety rules and penalties.