http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32761994/ns/world_news-americas/MEXICO CITY - A Bolivian religious fanatic told police he hijacked a Mexican jetliner from the resort city of Cancun on Wednesday after receiving a divine revelation, Mexico's public safety secretary told reporters.
Genaro Garcia Luna said that Jose Mar Flores, 44, told police that Wednesday's date ? 9-9-09 ? is the satanic number 666 turned upside down.
Flores used a fake bomb to hijack the plane, Garcia Luna said, then ordered the pilot to circle over Mexico City seven times. He said he wanted to warn Mexican President Felipe Calderon of an impending earthquake.
Flores released most passengers shortly before federal police stormed the plane.
Police, who did not fire a single shot, led as many as eight handcuffed men away from the airplane, which was isolated at the end of a runway in an area designed for emergencies.
Police later said Flores acted alone and that the others were detained when it was still unclear who was involved.
U.S. citizens on board
Mexican, U.S. and French citizens were among the 112 passengers and crew on AeroMexico Flight 576, according to a U.S. official who had been briefed on the situation. The official was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The attorney general's office said it was opening an investigation into terrorism and kidnapping but did not specify how many people could be charged.
Passenger Rocio Garcia told the Televisa network that the pilot made an announcement after landing in Mexico City that the airplane was being hijacked. Passengers said the hijackers never communicated with them directly.
"These were scary moments," she said.
She said she saw one of the hijackers whom she described as a well-dressed, older man.
"He looked fine, like a normal passenger," she said.
Passenger Daniel Hernandez said he saw a hijacker carrying a Bible.
The most recent hijacking in the Americas occurred on April 19, when a man with a handgun tried to commandeer a Canadian jetliner from Jamaica. The standoff ended before takeoff at Montego Bay's airport when military commandos burst onto the plane and disarmed the man, who was described as
Sounds kinda like Mo. doesn't it? The whole 'divine revelation from god' nonsense?
Topic: Sounds kinda like Mohammed