Key facts
- Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has been arrested and charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, and other offenses.
- Howard-Taylor was detained at Roberts International Airport while attempting to depart Liberia.
- Three foreign nationals, two Croatians and one Ukrainian, have been charged in absentia as part of the same investigation.
- Liberia has recently conducted significant cocaine seizures, some among the largest in the country's history.
Liberia has charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering, and a range of other offenses as part of a transnational narcotics investigation. Howard-Taylor, who served as vice president from 2018 to 2024, was detained at Roberts International Airport in Monrovia before boarding a flight. She was taken to national police headquarters and has not yet commented on the charges.
The West African nation has intensified its crackdown on transnational drug trades, particularly cocaine trafficking, in recent years. Liberian authorities stated they are determined to apprehend three foreign nationals—two Croatians and one Ukrainian—who have been charged in absentia and are accused of being part of the same network as Howard-Taylor. The investigation is targeting all aspects of the drug-trafficking network, including organizers, facilitators, and financiers.
In recent months, Liberian officials have conducted multiple drug trafficking seizures, some of which are among the largest in the country's history. These include a raid in Duazon where 3,971kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of over $317 million were seized, and nearly 200 blocks of cocaine worth approximately $19 million intercepted at Roberts International Airport. President Joseph Boakai, who took office after Howard-Taylor's tenure, has pledged to combat corruption and prevent Liberia from becoming a haven for drug trafficking. West Africa increasingly serves as a transit route for cocaine moving from South America to Europe.