Governor Pulaali‘i Nikolao Pula has reaffirmed that his administration has formally requested the establishment of a permanent United States Coast Guard station in American Samoa. The statement responds to growing public concern over recent reports of narcotics trafficking and other transnational criminal activity across the Pacific region.
An ASG press release says that on August 7, 2025, Governor Pula formally submitted a detailed proposal to Captain Nicholas Worst, Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, requesting the establishment of a U.S. Coast Guard Station–American Samoa. The proposal was also provided to Congresswoman Uifa‘atali Amata, Lieutenant Governor Pulumataala Ae Ae Jr., and Port Administration Director Barney Sene.
The Governor’s proposal specifically requested:
● The deployment of U.S. Coast Guard cutters and operational resources to American Samoa;
● A permanent Coast Guard station capable of supporting regional patrols;
● Maritime law-enforcement operations targeting illegal fishing and transnational criminal activity;
● Improved search-and-rescue and disaster-response capabilities;
● Protection of American Samoa’s approximately 404,000-square-kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone;
● Coordination with federal and regional partners to strengthen maritime security throughout the South Pacific.
According to the press statement, recent large-scale cocaine seizures across the Pacific demonstrate that international criminal organizations increasingly regard the region as a trafficking corridor. In January 2026 alone, authorities reported major seizures in Fiji and French Polynesia as part of an estimated multibillion-dollar regional drug trade.
American Samoa participates with other Pacific jurisdictions through the Oceania Customs Organization in efforts to address transnational organized crime.
Although recent reports and social-media posts have understandably raised concern, the public is encouraged to rely on confirmed information from law-enforcement agencies and to report suspicious activity through the appropriate authorities rather than circulating unverified claims.
Governor Pula emphasized that a permanent Coast Guard presence would not replace the responsibility of territorial law-enforcement agencies. Instead, it would provide capabilities that a small island jurisdiction cannot independently maintain, including long-range maritime surveillance, offshore interception, specialized intelligence coordination and sustained patrols across an enormous ocean area.
The Governor noted that this assessment has also been reinforced through discussions with U.S. Coast Guard leadership.
During a June 18, 2026, meeting with U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday, the Commandant expressed strong interest in stationing a Coast Guard cutter in American Samoa. He recognized the Territory’s strategic importance, acknowledged the benefits of an enhanced Coast Guard presence in the South Pacific, and supported continued discussions as the proposal advances.
