Oahu Couple Arrested After 26 Pounds of Marijuana Found at Kona Airport
Kona, HI – An Oahu couple was arrested on Sunday at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport after authorities discovered approximately 26 pounds of marijuana in their checked luggage destined for Honolulu. The suspects, Malakai John Mikaele, 30, of Honolulu, and 29-year-old Napua-Kuuipo Aumua-Yamamoto from Hauula, were detained following a security check.
According to a police log, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers alerted the Hawaii Police Department after uncovering 22 vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana inside a Home Depot box in Aumua-Yamamoto’s name. During questioning, Mikaele accepted responsibility for the contraband.
Mikaele is facing serious charges, including first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana, a Class A felony that may result in a 20-year prison sentence, as well as first-degree promotion of a detrimental drug, a Class C felony with a maximum of five years in prison. Aumua-Yamamoto was also charged but was released on her own recognizance, though her court appearance was not recorded in the state Judiciary database.
The couple was traveling with Aumua-Yamamoto’s 5-year-old daughter and another adult, though the current circumstances regarding the child remain unclear.
At Mikaele’s initial court appearance on Monday, Deputy Public Defender Victoria Andrade-McKeehan advocated for his release, citing no prior convictions and his role as a family supporter. The prosecution, however, urged the court to uphold Mikaele’s bail. Judge David Harada-Stone ultimately reduced his bail to $50,000, scheduling a preliminary hearing for later today. Mikaele is currently held at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
For further updates, contact John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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