Vida G. Bottom, Special Agent in Charge
(SAC) of the Honolulu Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
announced today that all FBI operations and investigative efforts in the U.S.
territory of American Samoa will be handled by the FBI office in Honolulu,
Hawaii. The decision for this consolidation was made by the U.S. Congress, who
cited budgetary reasons.
“The FBI is committed to continuing our
investigations into issues of national security and federal criminal activity
on American Samoa,” Bottom stated. “However, budgetary realities can no longer
justify staffing an office on American Samoa full time.”
The Honolulu Division of the FBI
conducts investigations on several islands in the Pacific, including Tinian,
Rota, Kauai, Lanai, and Molokai, where no permanent FBI office exists.
The FBI’s American Samoa Office opened
in 2006 as a satellite of the Honolulu Field Office. During that time, many
high-profile public corruption, civil rights, and violent crime investigations
have resulted in criminal convictions. The FBI’s office on American Samoa will
be phased out gradually over the next few months as equipment and supplies can
be moved to Honolulu.
American Samoa residents who wish to
report criminal activity or national security concerns to the FBI should
contact the Honolulu Field Office at 808-566-4300.
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