Date: 201502
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Diverted; General Declared Emergency; General Police / Security Involved
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Staffing
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Approximately three hours into flight got a call from Flight Attendant (FA) that we had two deportees on plane and somehow bought booze at duty free [before departure] and went through the whole bottle and was cussing and wouldn't stay in his seat. It's hard to visualize what's happening in the back and the two females [flight attendants] and lead wanted to divert and take this person off the plane. In order to divert and what they don't understand is they had no clue where we were and how much fuel we had.I asked for male flight attendant and asked him what was happening and he said the guy was just drunk and talking junk.  I asked him if we need to divert and he told me that he calmed the guy down and not a big deal. I along with my First Officer (FO) have flown with this flight attendant many times and I trust him and know he does a great job. The other three FA I don't know but I sensed drama. After we diverted and removed both deportees; we took off and went to ZZZ about one and half hours late. When we got off plane and went to the hotel; I talked to a PAX that was on our plane and sitting in front of deportee. ...we talked for several minutes about what happened and he confirmed what I thought.  He told me that the male FA and a female PAX from Canada would get [deportee] calmed down; and as soon as he was calm [one of the female flight attendants] would tell him to be quiet; and if the female PAX (that was calming [the deportee]) doesn't get back to her seat; that she would be locked up as well. [PAX added that] when a person is drunk like this and an FA gets verbal with a drunk PAX; it starts all over again.I told the lead and both female FA to stay away from this drunk person and let [the male FA] calm him down.  Also; this deportee never hit anyone he was just verbal. This went on for several minutes and we finally diverted to [a convenient airport] where both deportees were removed. I didn't make a PA stating that we are [doing so] because I thought the drunk would go on a rampage if he knew what we had planned. Also found out that the three other FA were talking about not continuing with me because of all of this. I support our FAs and I take full responsibility in this matter for my decision to divert.




Synopsis: After receiving mixed messages about the severity of a passenger disruption from the flight attendant staff; the Captain of a B737 opted to divert to an enroute station without informing those involved so as to minimize the risk of a more vociferous reaction on the part of the inebriated passenger; a deportee. An unusual factor which may have provoked more on board staff distress; was a difference of opinion as to the appropriate level of reaction the disruption demanded between male and female cabin staff.