Warning: long jmo ramble..
I think LE has known that CD and Lori were in HI (and even knew their specific location) since day one. I'm sure the FBI and/or HI LE has had them under surveillance for weeks now. As I mentioned in a previous post, it's almost impossible to hide from the FBI - not given today's vehicle GPS's, cell phone tracking/pinging, laptop GPS's, cctv/security videos, license plate tracking, credit card use, ATM use, facial recognition, etc.
I think most of us suspected that Lori and CD were in HI (though I wrongly suspected they might be in Laie..) the moment Rexburg LE announced that they knew that CD and Lori "had left the state", but "were still in the country" (some will split hairs with this next statement, but, LE couldn't have stated with certainty that CD and Lori were NOT in one state without first knowing (with certainty) that they WERE in a different state.
LE also announced that they knew the kids "were not with CD and Lori". That could only mean (again as many of us suspected) that LE had obtained the certain/absolute evidence necessary to make such an announcement - evidence which to me could only have been come from flight records and airport video. And HI was clearly a home away from home for both CD and Lori.
I actually suspect that many WS'ers (though admittedly not me as I'm not very skilled at sleuthing yet) would've confirmed that CD and Lori were in HI several threads ago if only HI marriage records and/or flight records had been a matter of public record.
So I think LE has been waiting now for several weeks to accumulate enough evidence to charge Lori and/or CD with a crime. Unfortunately, based on the early reports of this initial LE contact in HI (parking lot, rental car, the SW, Lori and CD walking back inside, etc.), I'm still not sure LE has enough evidence to arrest one or both.
Re: Lori, the fact that she lied about the children's whereabouts was not sufficient evidence to charge her. Even the fact that the children could not be located was apparently not sufficient evidence of a crime to charge her (as illogical as that seemed to many of us).
Re: CD, without TD's autopsy results perhaps revealing that she was murdered (and maybe even with autopsy results revealing she was murdered, but without a witness) they couldn't (and maybe still can't) charge CD with a crime. Idk. LE may now just be confiscating Lori and CD's passports and trying to rattle them - warning them not to leave the country, etc. That, and searching for desperately needed evidence to charge them with any of the crimes many of us suspect may have occurred.
AC was the key. AC's death really complicated things, as besides Lori (who I'm sure isn't talking), only AC (and possibly the kids - who are either missing or dead) could've testified as to what might have really happened in CV's death. And only AC and MB (and possibly Lori) could testify re: the attempted BB shooting and MB's trespass incident. Also, AC could've been involved (or been a material witness) in TD's death, but again, AC's dead. Re: the missing children, besides Lori (and possibly MB), AC may have been the only person who knew what happened to them. His death was mighty convenient for Lori.
With AC dead and the kids gone (or dead), who is now left to testify? Only Lori or CD, (and possibly, MB). It's my guess that Lori and CD aren't going to be talking. And even if MB does know something about any of the above events, I doubt she'll be talking either (especially about the events related to her ex husband and his parents). Who knows, maybe IP knows something and he'll crack.
Unfortunately (agsin just speculating), I think the search warrant in HI may, at this time, only be targeting CD, and it may only be predicated on the TD autopsy results (if they possibly revealed the cause of death to be poisoning). But LE still may not have anything more than circumstantial evidence.
And back to Lori and the missing kids, without the kids being found alive, and without any witnesses to their disappearance, LE may still not have enough evidence to charge Lori with their disappearance or any of the other non-TD crimes. Idk.., it hasn't been mentioned much, but maybe they can somehow implicate her (with or w/o CD) in TD's death.
The evidence against Lori though may continue to mount though based on the ongoing investigations into the deaths of CV and AC (AC autopsy results, etc.). But it's troubling to think that if both Lori and CD were to keep their mouths shut
they could perhaps minimize their exposure, and maybe avoid prosecution altogether.
Eta More info became available while I was composing after hearing the initial news (imagine that!). Glad to hear they were served with the 5 day requirement to produce, and that it was more than just a possible passport confiscation and attempt to pressure. Fantastic!