Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — One of the two passengers who were removed from a Hawaiian Airlines flight last Thursday due to a bomb threat has threatened to file a lawsuit against several parties, including the Department of Public Safety.

Makerita Fa’ae’e Iosefo expressed her frustration on social media earlier this week. In a post where she tagged local media, Ms Iosefo said that on Thursday night’s flight, June 26, 2025, she was a passenger along with her sister. 

“My sister and I were utterly humiliated and embarrassingly mistreated by HAL (Hawaiian Airlines) and local authorities upon arrival.” 

She stated that from the moment the aircraft landed until they arrived at the substation, they remained uninformed about the reasons for their escorted removal from the plane and the subsequent search of their baggage, which was conducted without their consent.

“All the authorities at the airport — Airport Police, Immigration, Customs, Department of Public Safety, Hawaiian Airlines staff just looked at us like criminals, and not a single person dared to explain what was going on,” said Iosefo in her post. 

According to Iosefo, a flood of questions and scenarios rushed through her mind. She wondered if her family was safe, if someone had died, if a crime had occurred, or if she had inadvertently committed one herself. Iosefo stated that it was crucial for someone to provide clarity about the situation, or at the very least, to offer a hint that would help illuminate their circumstances.

She endeavored to maintain her composure and remain calm, particularly for her sister, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, in addition to managing several other medical conditions. She is currently undergoing her third round of chemotherapy while traveling. Her sole purpose for undertaking this trip was to be present for their brother’s ordination as a deacon the following morning. She has eagerly anticipated this journey for over a year and exerted considerable effort to ensure she could be home for this significant event in their family. However, this is not the experience that her sister envisioned.

Iosefo said the procedure involved their removal from the aircraft, an unauthorized search conducted by unauthorized personnel, followed by a police escort. Numerous investigators, police officers, the DPS commissioner, and several police vehicles were stationed outside the terminal. Yet, no explanation was offered regarding what is happening. 

Moreover, Iosefo said that she approached the Police Commissioner to inquire about the situation, but her questions went unanswered. 

In contrast, her sister was overwhelmed, feeling embarrassed, confused, jet-lagged, and flustered. Iosefo noted that when they exited the baggage claim through a rear door, Police officers and Detectives were waiting outside with many police cars.

This was when her sister lost her composure and demanded an explanation. The Police Commissioner gave the Officer the green light to shed clarity on what was happening. 

According to Iosefo, the words "there's a bomb threat on the plane tonight" prompted her to question immediately what it had to do with them.  

“Unfortunately, that was all they could tell us. We needed to go to the substation for further questioning. I was accused of creating a scene and making this "bigger than it actually is." Really? This entire ordeal is a huge, traumatic scene created by all of you, not us. But still, DPS didn’t bring several police cars to the airport just to leave empty-handed. 

“They had to ensure the whole island saw that they were onto something. So, they put us in two separate vehicles, even after my sister requested to ride with me because she wasn’t feeling well and needed my assistance to get in and out of the vehicle. The answer was still a firm "no." 

“No one cared that she was a traveling patient, which I made clear to them from the start. It felt like we were criminals, forced to remain separated until after questioning.” 

Iosefo said at the substation, they were placed in two separate rooms for interrogation, and she was asked if she knew an Amy Iosefo or a Jennifer Iosefo. 

“The explanation was that shortly after our flight left Hawaii, a tip came in about a social media post on the HAL page made by an Amy Iosefo to a Jennifer Iosefo, stating that she was uncomfortable boarding the plane because someone on it had a bomb strapped to them. 

“My sister and I were being targeted simply because we were the only Iosefos on board the flight. They needed to clear our names by bringing us in for questioning. You figure it out.” 

Iosefo was confused. If this situation were as serious as they were claiming, why hadn't the airport been evacuated? The only thing missing from this entire horrific experience was handcuffs; they might as well have put us in them.

Iosefo expressed frustration that it seems both the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Homeland Security did not take the threat seriously. Instead, they chose to violate their rights, acting as law-abiding citizens, to appear heroic. Ms. Iosefo stated that the police provided a list of individuals connected to Amy and Jennifer Iosefo, but she did not recognize any of them. She further inquired about the investigation, specifically whether there was a connection between her and her sister, and the individuals involved, the response was 'no.' The detective also mentioned that Amy Iosefo is located in San Pablo, CA, which is where the threat originated. However, Iosefo and her sister flew out of Seattle, WA, and the Police confirmed the tip that triggered the investigation came from the FBI.

“This is a case I know without a doubt I will win in court! I will get my answers one way or another. A bomb threat is a federal offense, so the individuals behind it should be locked away forever,” said Iosefo. 

She concluded that the moral of the story is this: it could happen to you. If it were to happen to us, it could happen to anyone. An innocent traveler, simply trying to get home, suddenly finds their world turned upside down by authorities who are not doing their jobs properly.