Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata emphasized and supported a resolution from the American Samoa Senate by sending the measure to the leadership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to highlight its message.
The Senate resolution requests assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the US Drug Enforcement Agency to address the illegal drug problem in the territory.
The congresswoman wrote to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and FBI Director Christopher Wray that she was bringing to their attention the resolution passed by the American Samoan Senate requesting additional aid from the FBI and DEA to address the territory’s illegal drug problem.
“I want to mirror the sentiment behind this resolution and ask that you continue to include the territories in your ongoing enforcement strategies,” said Uifaatali.
“The territories are especially vulnerable due to their geographical isolation from the rest of the country and their proximity to China and other adversarial elements. This isolation was further exacerbated during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and I am looking forward, not only to the federal presence in the territories returning to pre-pandemic levels, but to increased cooperation between local and federal law-enforcement.”
The Congresswoman said she looked forward to working with the DEA Administrator and FBI Director during next year’s appropriations process to identify funding opportunities for additional resources for the territories.
