Multi-agency bust in Kona uncovers cocaine, meth, gun, cash, marijuana

A parked vehicle on Alii Drive yielded cocaine, methamphetamine, a loaded firearm and enough cash and marijuana to suggest West Hawaii officers were looking at more than a street-level arrest. Luis Pagano Colon, 45, of Kailua-Kona, was arrested after a multi-agency search in the heart of Kona turned up 133.07 grams of cocaine, about 31.48 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm with a loaded magazine, shotgun shells and additional ammunition.

The operation happened about 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, when HPD Vice West officers worked alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Officers searched a vehicle parked at a business on Alii Drive, then searched a related residence and seized more than $2,700 in cash and 1,760.58 grams of marijuana, or nearly 3.9 pounds.

By Friday, April 24, Colon faced a dozen offenses, including three counts of first-degree promoting a dangerous drug. The list also included possession of prohibited weapons, keeping ammunition in the wrong place and carrying a loaded firearm on a public highway. Bail was set at $288,000, reflecting the seriousness of a case that combined narcotics, firearms and cash in a single enforcement action.

The numbers matter. Nearly 4.7 ounces of cocaine, more than an ounce of methamphetamine and almost 4 pounds of marijuana are not the hallmarks of a casual possession stop. Taken together with the loaded gun and ammunition, the seizure points to a trafficking and weapons case that investigators appear to have treated as part of a wider criminal operation rather than a one-off bust.

The arrest also fits a pattern in West Hawaii, where major drug cases have surfaced repeatedly in recent months. In June 2025, police reported a separate Kailua-Kona case involving William Kaohu that led to the seizure of more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly 2 pounds of marijuana, three ounces of cocaine and 19 oxycodone pills. For a community that depends on visible commercial corridors like Alii Drive and nearby neighborhoods, the latest seizure reinforces how quickly drug and gun enforcement can move from a private stash to a public safety issue.

Hawaii Police Department booking logs note that arrest and charge information can change during the 48-hour charging window after an arrest, a reminder that the case could still evolve as prosecutors add or adjust counts. For now, the April 22 search stands as another sign that state and federal investigators are pressing harder on West Hawaii drug and firearm networks, with Kailua-Kona again at the center of the work.