Budget constraints are prompting the Federal Bureau of Investigation to close its field office in American Samoa. The satellite office first opened in 2006. 

Vida Bottom, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge in Honolulu announced the news on July 4: 

“The FBI is committed to continuing our investigations into issues of national security and federal criminal activity on American Samoa,” Bottom said. “However, budgetary realities can no longer justify staffing an office on American Samoa full time.”

All future FBI operations and investigative efforts in American Samoa will be handled out of Honolulu, officials said.