Eliu Afoa, Drug Trafficking, Hawaii 2014

Thirty-seven defendants have been hit with federal drug trafficking charges in a sweeping indictment targeting a sprawling narcotics network across Hawaii and California. Twenty-two were arrested in early-morning raids Thursday across Oahu and the mainland, following the unsealing of six indictments accusing them of operating a high-volume drug operation from July 2014 through November 2016. The charges include 105 counts of drug trafficking and five firearm offenses, with law enforcement agencies moving swiftly to dismantle the alleged ring.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Honolulu Police Department executed coordinated arrests in Honolulu, Aiea, Kaneohe, Mililani, Ewa Beach, Waipahu, and as far as San Francisco and Antioch, California. Among those taken into custody Thursday were Eliu Afoa, 29, of Honolulu; Laauli Amani, 43; Gilbert Enos, 65; Aukisitino Falaniko, 38; Daryl Kuresa, 36, of Aiea; Duane Liupaono, 35, also of Aiea; and Lee Lopez, 44, of Kaneohe. Others arrested in Hawaii include Dorani Luavai, 22; Dorothy Lupe, 38, of Mililani; Robert Paga, 41; Faaalo Salavea, 42, of Ewa Beach; Piliopo Salavea, 45; Eldean Tacuban, 46, of Kaneohe; Kilisi Toliniu, 35; Papa Tupua, 58; Alesana Vaimasanuu, 38; Roger Whitmarsh, 39; and Rodney Wong, 49 — all Honolulu residents.

Arrests also extended beyond state lines. Kpel Hollins, 34, formerly of Waipahu, was taken into custody in California. Jeremiah Ieremia, 26, of San Francisco; Jeremiah Matau, 34, of Antioch; and Faanimo Paopao, 25, also of San Francisco, were apprehended as part of the same operation. These out-of-state arrests underscore the interstate reach of the alleged drug network, which prosecutors say funneled narcotics through Hawaii with connections to mainland distribution points.

Five individuals had already been apprehended in prior actions tied to the investigation and remain in federal custody: James Abalos, 38; Jessie Momosea, 31; Theresa Tuua-Montgomery, 45; Victor Daniels, 48 — all of Honolulu — and Villiami Tapuketau Naufahu, 26, of San Mateo, California. Meanwhile, Lelauti Sakaria, 35, and June Gibson, 43, both of Honolulu, are currently held by the State of Hawaii on separate charges but named in the federal indictment.

If convicted on the most serious charges — violations of 21 USC 841(b)(1)(A) — defendants face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum of ten years. Lesser charges under 21 USC 841(b)(1)(B) carry up to 40 years and a five-year mandatory minimum, while offenses under 21 USC 841(b)(1)(C) max out at 20 years. Three defendants face additional firearm charges for possessing weapons during drug crimes, each carrying a mandatory five-year sentence to run consecutively. Two others are charged as felons in possession of firearms, facing up to ten years in prison.

Florence T. Nakakuni, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii, confirmed the indictments were returned by a federal grand jury on November 30 and December 7, 2016, and remained sealed until today’s arrests. The defendants arrested in Hawaii will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard L. Puglisi for initial hearings either today or on December 9. The arrests mark a major blow to what officials describe as a deeply rooted, organized drug trafficking enterprise. The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI, HSI, and the Honolulu Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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