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Two men arrested for unlawful possession of illegal drugs

American Samoa District Court building
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The passenger of a vehicle pulled over last week for a traffic violation is now charged with drug possession. The driver was also arrested per an active arrest warrant from the DPS Vice and Narcotics Unit for a October 2019 matter where drugs were found in his possession.

The passenger, Wilson Tagaloa, and the driver, Makesi Uale, made their initial appearances before Judge Elvis P. Patea on Monday. Tagaloa is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a felony, while Uale is charged with one count of unlawful possession of marijuana, also a felony.

Bail for both men is set at $5,000 each, and the preliminary examination is Thursday, Feb. 27.

THE ARREST

On Jan. 11, cops found drugs on a passenger of a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation. It was later discovered that both the driver and the passenger had active warrants for their arrest. The case was ultimately transferred to the DPS Vice and Narcotics Unit.

According to the traffic officers, a gray truck heading west, in the Bay area, was swerving sideways, so the vehicle was pulled over in front of an Asian store in Fagatogo. When police approached the vehicle, two males were inside — Uale and Tagaloa.

Uale did not produce a driver’s license when asked for one; but police were aware of an active arrest warrant in his name, for an October 2019 incident during which drugs were allegedly found on him.
Police were also aware of a bench warrant for Tagaloa.

Both men were taken in for questioning. Prior to that, a pat down netted a clear glass pipe (commonly used to smoke meth) in Tagaloa’s left pocket. The glass pipe contained a useable amount of a white crystalline substance.

Tagaloa refused to make a statement.