The Liberian government’s anti-narcotics campaign has taken a high-stakes political turn following serious allegations leveled against former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.
Police Inspector General Gregory O. W. Coleman explicitly placed Howard-Taylor within an active international drug-trafficking network linked to a massive $317 million cocaine bust along the Roberts International Airport Highway in Duazon, Margibi County. Rejecting the notion that she is merely a person of interest, Inspector General Coleman confirmed that investigators regard the former Vice President—who served under ex-President George Weah from 2018 to 2024 and currently leads the National Patriotic Party—as an operational figure within the cartel framework under scrutiny.
The investigation directly stems from a 3,971-kilogram cocaine seizure, which authorities describe as part of an organized syndicate involving foreign operatives whose activities extended into the country during the previous political administration. Responding to claims of political persecution, security officials emphasized that the probe arose from a National Security Council mandate to dismantle organized cartels rather than target political opponents. Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh strongly defended the administration’s decision to stop Howard-Taylor at Roberts International Airport as she attempted to board a flight to Ghana, asserting that the Joint National Security Investigative Team possessed credible evidence to prevent her departure and secure a sealed grand jury indictment under national security provisions.
While state prosecutors maintain that no individual or former officeholder enjoys immunity from prosecution, the government faces the legal burden of translating high-level assertions into admissible courtroom evidence. Authorities clarified that the $317 million shipment represents an entirely separate investigation from another widely reported $19 million drug case, requiring distinct legal foundations. As the government prepares its case, officials reiterated that Howard-Taylor has not been convicted of any crime and remains legally presumed innocent, leaving the judiciary to determine whether the state’s evidence can substantiate claims of high-level local facilitation within international narcotics networks.
ABJ/APA