Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Before the start of the Father’s Day weekend and Juneteenth holiday, American Samoa’s Department of Homeland Security released a special bulletin on Friday, June 16, 2023 “calling upon the members of the general public to remain vigilant and report any sightings of suspicious alia boats and other vessels off the coast of Tutuila, Aunu’u, and Manu’a.”

The special bulletin claims that this “initiative aims to enhance coastal security and ensure the safety of our communities.”

The bulletin further notes that “ASDHS recognizes that community members play a vital role in maintaining a secure environment and by actively engaging the public in this effort, they can establish a strong collaborative network that fosters a safer coastal community.”

It also urges residents, boaters, fishermen and all coastal users to stay vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious activities they observe, this includes any sightings of alia boats or vessels displaying suspicious behavior, such as loitering in restricted areas, deviating from established routes, engaging in irregular patterns, or displaying no visible identification markings.

These details, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, may provide critical information to assist authorities in their investigations, ASHS says.

The bulletin also informs the public if any suspicious activities are observed,  they are encouraged to contact the emergency operations center (EOC) hotline at 699-3800.

There was no explanation for the heightened security.