Alleged meth dealer also accused of assaulting DEA agent

A California man charged with selling 25 pounds of methamphetamine to a federal informant before assaulting a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent trying to arrest him made his initial appearance in court Tuesday.

Venasio Saipelasi Tuipulotu, 35, was charged by federal criminal complaint with one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distrib- ute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

He appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter. A hearing on the government’s motion to detain Tuipulotu before trial is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday in Reber Porter’s court.

On two separate occasions a confidential source, identified in court documents as “CS-1,” arranged through recorded telephone calls the purchase of five and then 20 pounds of meth.

When DEA agents identified themselves before arresting him in Waikiki, Tuipulotu allegedly dropped a backpack full of meth and fled on foot down the street.

Tuipulotu was pursued and eventually arrested, but during the process of taking him into custody, he “physically assaulted a federal law enforcement agent,” according to court documents.

“During the process of arresting Mr. Tuipulotu, a DEA agent suffered minor injuries and has since recovered,” said Nicole K. Nishida, a DEA spokesperson, in a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Tuipulotu’s attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Melinda K. Yamaga, did not immediately reply to Star-Advertiser requests for comment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshall H. Silverberg is prosecuting the case for the government.

On April 25, CS-1 called Tuipulotu to discuss the sale and distribution of crystal methamphetamine. Using coded language, Tuipulotu agreed to provide CS-1 with five pounds of methamphetamine, on consignment, and both discussed the future sale and distribution of 25 pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $2,250 per pound, according to the complaint.

CS-1 has four felony convictions, including for promoting a dangerous drug in the second degree and three for unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle and theft, “none of which bear on veracity or honesty.”

“Since March 2023, CS-1 has cooperated with investigators in the hope of minimizing potential criminal charges related to CS-1’s historical methamphetamine trafficking activities. CS-1 is facing felony charges for methamphetamine distribution and has made multiple statements against CS-1’s penal interest to investigators and is independently known to investigators to have supplied methamphetamine to others,” wrote a DEA agent in an affidavit.

“Investigators are not aware of any inaccurate or unreliable information provided by CS-1 and information provided by CS-1 to date has been corroborated by information from public and law enforcement databases, telephone subscriber and telephone toll records, and physical surveillance, and has never been found to be false or misleading. For these reasons, I believe CS-1 is reliable,” the agent wrote.

On April 29, CS-1 got a call from Tuipulotu letting him know he was in Honolulu.

Later that day, as witnessed by agents, CS-1 called Tuipulotu and learned he was staying at a hotel at the airport and using coded language, and both agreed to meet at the McDonald’s parking lot later that day to complete the five-pound crystal methamphetamine sale.

Investigators provided CS-1 with a recording device and told him to drive to the predetermined location, park and wait.

Soon investigators saw Tuipulotu, who was wearing a dark cap, white T-shirt, brown shorts and black shoes, and carrying a dark backpack, leave the back side of the Best Western Hotel on North Nimitz Highway and walk westbound on Koapaka Street toward CS-1’s car.

Agents saw Tuipulotu get in and out of the car. Later they met with CS-1, who turned over a brown paper bag that contained more than 2,200 grams of methamphetamine.

On June 1, investigators saw Tuipulotu arrive at the airport and travel to the Waikiki area.

Later that night, Tuipulotu told CS-1 to go to 2451 Cleghorn St. to pick up the 20 pounds he agreed to sell CS-1 on consignment. Under the direction of agents, CS-1 declined to go to Waikiki, and “both agreed to conduct the transaction the following day.”

On June 2, CS-1 made a recorded telephone call to Tuipulotu to confirm the meeting location and sale. While watching Tuipulotu in Waikiki, a DEA agent saw him carrying a backpack en route to the meeting. When DEA agents moved in to arrest him, he dropped the bag and ran before allegedly assaulting an agent.

During a search of his backpack, DEA agents allegedly found the 20 pounds of methamphetamine.