Key facts
- Jewel Howard-Taylor, former vice president of Liberia, has been arrested and charged.
- The charges are related to a transnational narcotics investigation.
- Liberia has seen multiple significant cocaine seizures recently.
- A July 2026 raid near Monrovia yielded 3,971kg of cocaine valued at over $317 million.
- In June 2026, nearly 200 blocks of cocaine were intercepted at Roberts International Airport.
Jewel Howard-Taylor, the former vice president of Liberia and ex-wife of Charles Taylor, has been arrested and charged as part of an investigation into a transnational narcotics network, according to a government statement. This development follows a series of significant drug seizures in Liberia.
In July 2026, Liberian police seized 3,971kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of over $317 million, during a raid on a suspected illegal storage facility near the capital, Monrovia. This operation was described as the largest drug bust in the country's history and resulted from a long-running investigation into drug-trafficking networks operating in Liberia since at least 2018.
Earlier, in June 2026, nearly 200 compressed blocks of cocaine, valued at approximately $19 million, were intercepted at Roberts International Airport. This seizure sparked political controversy, leading President Joseph Boakai to order a joint investigation involving the police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA). Subsequently, a Joint National Security Investigative Task Force was appointed to examine how the shipment passed through airport security.
Following public scrutiny and criticism over the pace of investigations, senior police officials, including Inspector General Gregory Coleman, appeared before the Liberian Senate. They assured senators that arrests would be made soon, with individuals identified as persons of interest being elevated to suspect status. The Ministry of Justice has named at least 10 persons of interest in connection with the airport bust, and international arrest warrants are being pursued for others at large.
West Africa is recognized by international law enforcement as a critical transit route for cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe. The United Nations has warned of increasingly sophisticated operations by drug cartels in the region, with cocaine seizures in West Africa steadily increasing.