A Hawaii Army National Guard soldier is facing a federal drug charge after agents say they uncovered roughly 3,500 grams of fentanyl hidden at a Guard facility in Kapolei. Federal court records identify the suspect as 36-year-old Riley Wai Lee Wong, who is being held at a federal detention center in Honolulu. Guard officials say the unit is cooperating with investigators while the probe remains active.
According to federal court papers, DEA agents and Honolulu police officers were called to a locker room at the Hawaii Army National Guard complex on Enterprise Avenue, where someone had spotted a black Pelican case shoved under the floorboards of Building 1874. Agents obtained a search warrant and opened the case the next day. Inside, they reported finding multiple bundles of off-white powder, two bundles of a dark substance, a zip-lock bag of purple crystals and a bag of blue pills. A DEA analysis later linked fingerprints on plastic bags and dryer sheets inside the case to Wong. A witness told investigators they saw Wong use his phone to photograph an orange prescription vial and a small baggie before he stashed the case, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Guard Officials Respond
An affidavit filed by a DEA special agent states that Wong holds a secret security clearance and had access to "secret information and army aircraft" that investigators wrote could be exploited. Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan told the paper that "the Hawaii National Guard is cooperating with law enforcement and cannot release additional information due to an open investigation." The Star-Advertiser reported those details.
Why the Amount Matters on Oʻahu
The roughly 3.5-kilogram figure would dwarf many recent island seizures. The Honolulu Police Department reported recovering about 636 grams of illicit fentanyl in March 2025 and roughly 640 grams in the first three months of that year, totals far smaller than the amount cited in the federal filings. Federal prosecutors have recently pursued large fentanyl trafficking cases in Hawaii, including a Waikiki dealer who received a 10-year sentence after distributing pills that contained fentanyl. For local data see the Honolulu Police Department and for federal prosecutions see the U.S. Attorney's Office in Hawaii.
Court Timeline And Legal Exposure
Wong is charged in federal court with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and made an initial appearance before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield on Jan. 16. His detention hearing is set for Jan. 22. Prosecutors have argued he should be held without bail, saying he was found with multi-kilogram quantities and alleging he laundered cash through casinos and maintains substantial liquid assets. If convicted, possession with intent to distribute large quantities of fentanyl can carry decades in federal prison, although any sentence will depend on the final indictment, proof at trial or a plea agreement.
