Man Arrested After Violent Outburst on Miami Flight

A New Mexico man was arrested after a chaotic confrontation aboard a Southwest Airlines flight at Miami International Airport.

Authorities said the incident happened Friday afternoon on Denver-bound Flight 268 while passengers were boarding. According to police, 32-year-old Marcial Martinez became disruptive, prompting intervention from another man later identified as a plainclothes U.S. Department of Energy officer.

Investigators say Martinez pushed the officer when he tried to calm the situation. Video shared online shows crew members attempting to escort Martinez off the plane as he shouts profanities and refuses to cooperate. The situation escalated into a physical struggle in the aisle, with Martinez and the officer grappling before Martinez was restrained.

Witnesses heard flight attendants repeatedly instructing him to leave the aircraft. At one point, someone off camera can be heard ordering him to put his hands behind his back.

According to the arrest report, the officer observed that Martinez had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol. Martinez later told deputies he had only been arguing with his wife and claimed the officer pushed him first.

He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on charges of battery and disorderly intoxication.

The incident caused a tense scene for passengers and crew before departure and adds to a growing list of unruly behavior cases disrupting commercial flights.