Auckland, NZ – Police say a United States national alleged to have acted as a contracted “hitman” in the killing of Auckland courier driver Tuipulotu Kokohu Vi, also known as Saia, is now in custody in California after being charged with a similar shooting in the United States.
New Zealand Police alleged the 26‑year‑old flew into the country in August 2024, carried out the fatal shooting, and then fled back to the US before investigators were able to identify him.
According to a report published today by the New Zealand Herald, the man—identified in newly unsealed court documents as Tanginoa Pahulu Tangi—is now facing charges in California after allegedly attempting another targeted shooting in the city of Oakley last year.
Vi, 59, was shot inside his courier vehicle on 19 August 2024 in Pakūranga Heights and died at the scene.
Police later alleged the shooter arrived in New Zealand specifically to carry out the killing on behalf of an organised criminal group, though Vi is understood not to have been the intended target.
US police later arrested Tangi following a dramatic vehicle pursuit after a man was shot multiple times outside his home in Oakley, California, in August 2025. Investigators in California described the shooting as a targeted attack, and identified the suspect as Tangi.
He now faces multiple charges in the US, including attempted murder, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, and firearm possession. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The revelation comes after parts of the suppression order were recently lifted, allowing the media to identify the alleged shooter for the first time.
New Zealand Police continue to investigate Vi’s death, and further arrests have not been ruled out as part of Operation Block, the ongoing homicide inquiry.
