The New Zealand and Cook Islands governments are working to get a nine-year-old Cook Islands girl returned from the United States.
Puna Raela a nine-year-old girl from the Cook Islands was detained by US authorities on 26 May 2019 shortly after arriving into Los Angeles with a family friend for a holiday. Photo: Cook Islands News/ Courtesy of Ngatuaine Raela
The girl, Puna Raela, was reportedly detained after travelling to the US on holiday with a family friend and American citizen Marc Pearce.
She arrived last Wednesday and was detained at Los Angeles International Airport, according to the Cook Islands News.
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was working with the Cook Islands government "to facilitate the return of a child, currently in the care of the US authorities, to the Cook Islands".
"For privacy reasons, no further information will be provided."
