An alarming incident took place aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 604 on January 24, where Julio Alvarez Lopez allegedly attacked a fellow passenger with a makeshift weapon made of pens and rubber bands. The flight, which departed from Seattle at 6:10 a.m., saw Lopez suddenly assault a man seated across the aisle in a bloody and unprovoked attack.

Witnesses reported that Lopez had been behaving erratically and acting "fidgety" before launching the assault. After stabbing the victim, Lopez moved towards the front of the plane, expressing a desire to speak only to the FBI. Despite claiming to have planned the attack with intentions to kill, he was eventually restrained and taken into custody upon landing at Terminal 3 of Harry Reid International Airport.

Authorities revealed that Lopez believed the victim, identified only as C.R., was a cartel agent following him, due to his delusional beliefs about being pursued by the Mafia in recent months. Shockingly, it was discovered that C.R. was a sworn law enforcement officer, although the specific agency was not disclosed in the complaint by FBI Special Agent Anthony Needler.

Lopez purportedly confessed to the FBI his disturbing plan of stabbing C.R. in the eye to reach his brain and kill him. Following the incident, Alaska Airlines commended its crew for their professionalism in handling the situation.

At present, Lopez faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon, while his federal public defender has not yet provided a statement regarding the incident. A chilling reminder of the unexpected dangers that can sometimes arise during air travel, this incident left passengers on Flight 604 shaken by the sudden violence that unfolded at 30,000 feet in the air.