Former Liberia VP remanded over drug trafficking

Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has been remanded in custody ahead of trial over alleged links to an international drug trafficking network.

Howard-Taylor was taken to Monrovia Central Prison on Tuesday after appearing before a court in Monrovia to face eight charges relating to alleged narcotics trafficking.

The former vice president, who served under ex-President George Weah from 2018 to 2024, was arrested last week at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia.

Liberia’s Justice Minister said she was charged in connection with an investigation into an alleged transnational drug trafficking network operating in Liberia and abroad.

The charges include the unauthorised importation, sale, distribution and administration of controlled drugs, as well as illicit drug trafficking.

The case is linked to a series of major narcotics seizures that have prompted renewed efforts by the Liberian government to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating in the country.

Among the seizures was about four tonnes of cocaine reportedly valued at $317 million, which authorities have linked to the investigation involving Howard-Taylor.

Her lawyers had asked the court to release her pending trial, citing her asthma and health concerns. The request was rejected, with the court ruling that only the Attorney-General could authorise compassionate release.

Three other suspects, two Croatian nationals and a Ukrainian, have also been charged in connection with the case but were not present in court.

Howard-Taylor, who is also a former senator, served in Liberia’s Senate between 2006 and 2018 before becoming vice president.

She is also the former wife of Charles Taylor, Liberia’s former president and ex-warlord, who is serving a 50-year prison sentence in Britain after being convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone of aiding and abetting war crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s civil war.

Opposition demands wider investigation

The arrest has triggered political reactions in Liberia, with the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) calling on the government to ensure that the drug investigation is not restricted to political opponents.

The party said it was concerned about what it described as a perception that President Joseph Boakai’s administration was targeting individuals associated with the former Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the political party to which Howard-Taylor belongs.

The ANC also questioned why allegations involving individuals linked to the governing Unity Party had not received similar attention.

The controversy comes as the Boakai administration intensifies its campaign against drug trafficking.

The president ordered a major investigation in June after authorities seized 237.6 kilogrammes of cocaine at Roberts International Airport. The consignment had reportedly been disguised as commercial goods, including Maggi seasoning cubes.

The government has pledged to identify and dismantle the networks behind the growing flow of narcotics through Liberia.

West Africa has long been identified as an important transit corridor for cocaine produced in Latin America and destined for European markets.

Howard-Taylor’s case is expected to draw further attention as the Liberian authorities pursue the investigation into one of the country’s largest alleged drug trafficking operations.