Further details on 2024 alleged importation of a large quantity of meth

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On May 30, 2024, a man approached an AS Customs agent in an alleged attempt to smuggle drugs into the territory.

The US Postal Investigation Services took over the investigation, and the suspect was later charged with:

Count 1: Bribery of a Public Servant, a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both imprisonment and fine;

Count 2: Concealing an Offense, a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both;

Count 3: Attempted Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute, a crime punishable by imprisonment for not less than five years and not more than 20 years, or a fine not more than $20,000, or both;

Count 4: Attempted Possession of a Controlled Substance, a crime punishable by imprisonment for not less than five years and not more than 20 years, or a fine not more than $20,000.00, or both; and,

Count 5: Importation of Contraband, a class D felony punishable by a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.

The defendant's bail was set at $100,000.

Samoa News previously reported on this case, when it was initially presented in court. The affidavit, Samoa News has recently been able to obtain, filed with the local court offers additional details about the case.

According to the court affidavit, on June 30, 2025, authorities obtained a report from the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Inspector regarding an investigation that had been redacted due to an ongoing federal investigation.

The report provided information on the contents of a parcel shipped by the suspect, Kenneth Mauga-Lei to a local customs agent.

BACK STORY

On May 30, 2024, a USPIS Inspector was informed by the AS Customs Supervisor that Kenneth Mauga-Lei (the suspect) offered an AS Customs Officer $3,000 to receive and deliver a parcel at the Pago Pago Post Office.

The USPIS Inspector advised the AS Custom Supervisor to have the parcel mailed to a box at the local Post Office.

On July 29, 2024, the AS Customs Supervisor reported the suspect for alleged bribery of a public servant relating to an attempt to import illegal drugs through the USPS.

The Customs Supervisor was interviewed, and he explained that the matter began when one of their customs agents (hereinafter, the witness), who was working at the Post Office, approached him on suspicion of an illegal matter.

He stated that the witness informed him that he had been contacted by the suspect, who offered to pay him $3,000 for use of a postal box to deliver a package. Mr. Mauga-Lei hoped the witness would provide a safe postal box for him to use discreetly.

The Customs supervisor then stated that he consulted with the AS Customs Chief, and they decided to go along with the suspect's request, undercover, to monitor any illegal activity.

Moreover, they reached out to the USPIS in Hawaii, and upon consultation, the USPIS provided a postal box at the Pago Pago Post Office for use. The plan was for the witness to give the suspect the post box per the suspect's request. This allowed the USPIS to monitor the box's activity, including which packages may be addressed to it.

The USPIS Inspector oversaw the ongoing investigation.

AS Customs Supervisor further stated, the witness provided the suspect with the mailbox number. Per USPIS monitoring, the parcel was detected and caught by the postal inspectors in Hawaii. They inspected the package and discovered illegal drugs.

Local authorities then requested that the Customs Supervisor provide a full report from the USPIS regarding the contents of the box.

On August 30, 2024, the witness was interviewed and stated that the suspect, also known as "Kenjo," was involved. He claimed that the suspect first reached out to him regarding the matter in May of 2024, first via Facebook Messenger and then by phone.

The witness explained that the suspect wanted him to assist with the delivery of a parcel, and he suspected the contents may have been illegal. He also noted that the suspect offered him $3,000 for his assistance in securing clearance for the parcel, to which he agreed.

The witness further explained that, from his understanding, Mauga-Lei's request was for him to provide a safe box for the parcel to be sent. The witness claimed that the suspect may have contacted him because their division (AS Customs) had reshuffled its staffing. He believed that the suspect had previously had a contact at the postal office but that person was no longer with their division or had been relocated due to personnel shuffling.

The witness also said this was not something he and the suspect had ever discussed, and he must've thought the suspect was involved in illicit activity.

Furthermore, the witness reported that after the first phone conversation with the suspect, they continued to use Facebook Messenger to communicate. In addition, he informed his superior of the suspect's request and was instructed to go along with it, on suspicion that the package may be an illegal shipment.

He continued that the USPIS provided AS Customs with a mailbox for the suspect, so that any shipment could be monitored.

The witness also revealed that he and the suspect had a second phone call, during which the suspect provided a mailbox number. Between the first and second phone calls, the suspect had messaged the witness several times, mostly requesting that the witness call him. During another phone call, the suspect asked the witness to monitor the parcel after it was sent to the provided mailbox. The suspect wanted to ensure the parcel arrived undetected by Customs so another person could pick it up.

The witness explained that the suspect sounded desperate during the call and told him the parcel belonged to him and another Samoan "guy". Additionally, the suspect said to him that the parcel's contents were five pounds of Methamphetamine.

After the second phone conversation, the suspect recommended they use Apple iMessage for further communication. About three weeks after the second phone conversation, the suspect sent the witness confirmation via iMessage that the parcel had been shipped to the provided mailbox. A photo of the box was also provided.

In July 2024, the suspect messaged again, informing the witness that the box should have arrived and that he should look for it. The witness asked the suspect for the mailbox name, and the suspect sent him a photo of a Home Depot box with the sender and recipient addresses written on the outside. The witness added that the suspect kept checking with him, even when he left for Hawaii.

The suspect also told the witness that he was fighting for this box because it would be suitable for all of them, based on the amount of cash it could net them.

The witness further stated that the suspect insisted he check with a USPS employee at the local post office to see if the package had been pulled so that they could give him his money. The suspect expressed concern that the parcel might not arrive in the territory and, in desperation, asked the witness if he knew any other dealers who could help him.

The witness also provided officers with screenshots from his cell phone of his text conversation with the suspect. He informed the officers that he had shared the same screenshots with AS Custom leadership so that they could monitor the situation.

The local authorities were able to review screenshots from the witness's cell phone and corroborated with both the Customs Supervisor and the agent regarding the suspect's request from May 2024.

On December 11, 2024, the suspect was interviewed at the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) regarding the allegations of bribery and attempting to import controlled substances.

The suspect denied any involvement in such activities and stated that he barely knew the witness. He told the officers that the witness is a co-worker of his older brother. The suspect was asked for consent to search his phone, but he replied that he had left it at home.

Authorities finally obtained a report from the USPIS Inspector in Hawaii regarding the matter. Certain information was redacted due to the ongoing federal investigation into the matter. The report provided information on the contents of the parcel shipped to the suspect's mailbox.

The report revealed a handwritten label reading "Marcus Taito," and the sender and addressee were Tanu Solipo. The box was sent from Washington state to Pago Pago via USPS. The USPIS Inspector conducted a review of USPS business records, which revealed that on June 26, 2024, a Priority Mail parcel was mailed from a post office in Lakewood for delivery to Pago Pago, AS.

The Subject parcel weighed 35 lbs, 4 ounces, and was partially paid for with cash.

On July 1, 2024, the USPIS Inspector located that parcel at the USPS Processing and Distribution Center in Honolulu. The inspector observed that the handwritten sender and recipient information matched the photographs and information provided by the AS Customs Supervisor on June 27.

Upon further inspection, the USPIS Inspector noticed that the sender's information was written on the USPS Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note.

On the same date, July 1, 2024, the inspector removed the subject parcel from the mail stream for further investigation. With the Task Force Officer present, the parcel was presented to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) Narcotic Canine for external examination. The canine's handler reported that the canine exhibited a behavioral change and alerted them to the presence of a controlled substance, which he is trained to recognize.

On July 2, 2024, the USPIS Inspector searched the subject parcel in the presence of the Task Force Officer and a Homeland Security Special Agent:

The subject parcel was found to contain:

1. (6) cans of Almond Roca Candy

2. (8) bags of Almond Roca Bites

3. (3) bags of mixed chocolates

4. (1) bag of Reese's peanut butter cups

5. (1) bag of Keto chocolate

6. (19) bags of chocolate peppermints

7. (2) t-shirts

8. (2) white shorts.

Upon removing the candy and clothing from the box, five vacuum-sealed bags containing a white crystalline substance were found. Each vacuum-sealed bag was opened, and a strong odor similar to brake cleaner emanated from the package.

Within each vacuum-sealed bag was another vacuum-sealed bag containing more white crystalline substances. The five bags weighed approximately 2,285 grams, and the crystalline substances tested positive for Methamphetamine.

The approximate street value of the 2,285 grams of Meth found in the box seized by USPIS is between $274,200 and $457,000. This is based on investigative observation that 0.25 grams of Meth can sell from $30 to $50 locally in American Samoa.