The Mandana Drug Task Force was a sham operation that was used by drug traffickers to take out their competition. This is according to statements made in a federal agent’s application for a 2018 search warrant for the phone records of retired cop John “Boom” Mantanona.
“Because Mandana knows better – they know better not to ask for my – ask about my – you know better, not to say my name,” now-convicted drug trafficker Audrey “Redd” Wolford told a confidential federal informant in a February 8, 2018 phone recorded phone call. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who applied for the search warrant, “Wolford is … stating that members of GPD Mandana are afraid to target Wolford’s drug trafficking activities because of Wolford’s close relationship with Mantanona. Wolford is further stating that if Wolford’s drug trafficking activities draw law enforcement attention, GPD Mandana members will notify Mantanona and ask him to caution Wolford.”
The Mandana task force had several members, not just from Guam Police Department, but also from other government law enforcement agencies.
It was commanded by the chief of the GPD Criminal Investigation Division, now-retired Captain Ken Mantanona.
“The ATF and FBI are working a joint investigation into the financial and drug trafficking activities of Audrey Wolford, John T. Mantanona, Kenneth D. Mantanona, and others,” recently-unsealed federal warrant application (MJ-18-00100) states. The language in this document differs from earlier search warrant applications, in that it is the first time the FBI publicly admits to an active investigation into Ken Mantanona.
“[Boom] Mantanona’s phone records revealed his frequent calls to GPD and to Captain [Ken Mantanona],” the FBI agent stated in the application.
“Captain [Ken Mantanona] is providing [Boom] Mantanona with sensitive law enforcement information and authorizing [Boom] Mantanona to participate on GPD official actions, surveillances and enforcement operations,” the FBI agent stated.
In this and another unsealed warrant, the agent alleges Wolford paid Boom Mantanona for protection and to weaponize Mandana against her competitors, and Boom paid Ken Mantanona to carry out Wolford’s orders.
“He’ll give you heads up over all the raids are going to happen,” Ms. Wolford told the federal confidential informant in that recorded February 8, 2018 phone call, after the informant asked what services Boom Mantanona would provide in return for money.
As previously reported on Kandit, Ms. Wolford told the CI she wielded her power over Mandana by having the task force reroute a raid of a Nevermind Road home and instead raid Mark Mayo, another convicted drug offender.
“Then they did it,” she said.
Aside from Ken Mantanona, only two other Mandana task force names so far have been revealed in these unsealed warrants. One name referenced is just a last name: Chaco.
The other is Keane Pangelinan.
Mr. Pangelinan no longer is with the Guam Police Department. Former attorney general Leevin Camacho hired him last year to be a criminal investigator in his office.
Kandit previously has reported information from sources about Mr. Pangelinan’s alleged misconduct while on the task force. This included the accusation that Mr. Pangelinan and another task force member took the debit card confiscated from an arrestee and used the funds in that card to purchase food, then laughed about the matter. The source reported the allegations to the GPD Internal Affairs division, but no action ever was taken.
According to text messages between Boom Mantanona and Ken Mantanona in 2017, Boom Mantanona wanted to speak with his cousin Ken about allegations of sexual harassment made by a student and then referenced Keane Pangelinan.
Mr. Pangelinan at the time was a valuable member of the Mandana task force, and was almost always participating in raids.
Sources within the police department tell Kandit they have no recollection of any report of sexual harassment being made officially against Mr. Pangelinan. GPD spokeswoman Berlin Savella said the police chief has directed research into the matter to see whether any such accusation was made.
Kandit also emailed Mr. Pangelinan about the reference, and other matters pertaining to Mandana. Mr. Pangelinan did not respond to the email, so Kandit called him at his work.
Mr. Pangelinan said he would not respond to any of our questions.
Among the questions Kandit asked the former Mandana Drug Task Force member are the following:
- Were you aware that Boom Mantanona was paying Ken Mantanona to provide sensitive law enforcement information to Boom?
- Did Ken Mantanona, Ray Tenorio, JI Cruz, Steve Munoz, Sang To, or any GPD official ever ask you to perform any unethical or illegal act as a member of the Mandana Drug Task Force? If so, what did they ask you to do? Did you do it? Did you ever report it? Are you aware of any of these officials asking any other member of the MDTF to commit unethical or illegal acts? Did they do it?
- Have you ever been questioned by federal law enforcement regarding your role in the Mandana Drug Task Force?
- Why did you leave the Guam Police Department?
Mr. Pangelinan respectfully refused to answer any of these questions. He also said, “I’ll answer to the proper authorities.”
Asked whether he has been approached by the federal government, he replied, “I will not answer.”
