He Was Arrested at the Airport on Monday
The event unfolded at Rosalía de Castro airport around ten in the evening on Monday. Airport staff reported to a couple that their packages exceeded the allowed limit. A confrontation erupted between one of the men involved and the flight attendants working for a low-cost carrier. When dialogue failed to deescalate the situation and the aggressiveness in his statements grew, the attendants contacted the National Police for assistance.
Witnesses say an officer targeted by the man moved toward the boarding gate. Police sources describe that the officer asked for identification up to five times but the passenger refused to provide it. During this moment, the man’s partner pulled out a mobile phone to record the scene in its entirety.
Officials instructed the passenger that travel would end and that the next option was to file a complaint. The police then asked the passenger to accompany them to the airport police station. Throughout the transfer to the station, the man resisted entering the room and continued to challenge the proceedings. During the walk, he allegedly directed insults at a Civil Guard officer. The SUP notes that comparisons to Iranian police were made, including remarks that appeared insulting and prejudicial.
The passenger was identified at the police station. He openly stated that he was being arrested for political reasons and threatened the officer with consequences to the uniform if he did not proceed. He turned out to be José Andrés del Reino Cárdenas, a state official who holds a regional coordinating position within the Equality Ministry team headed by Irene Montero.
Resistance, Disobedience and Attacking Authority
During the confrontation, the man attempted to flee while the dispute continued outside the police facility. In the chaos, an officer reported that the detainee’s hand was caught in the door frame as the two parties moved toward the building. The man was placed under medical leave, and officers proceeded to arrest him while requesting additional police reinforcements. He spent the night in custody from Monday to Tuesday and faced charges including resistance, disobedience and assault on authority.
Additionally, the detainee’s partner faced a separate allegation involving the alleged theft of a cash item. Police later confirmed that the partner possessed an item used by the National Police, which had been found during the scuffle near the boarding gate. The partner purportedly admitted intent to return the item after the discovery. The incident continues to be reviewed by the authorities, with ongoing assessments of the events that took place at the airport. Public observers note the tension between passengers, air staff and law enforcement during security screenings and boarding operations, highlighting how lines blur when emotions flare and conflict escalates into an arrest, a process now under formal review by the courts and the SUP for potential additional actions.