Liberia’s former Vice-President Jewel Howard-Taylor charged with drug trafficking, money laundering

She was detained on Wednesday while attempting to board a flight at Roberts International Airport in Monrovia, with authorities linking her to a cocaine seizure valued at approximately US$317 million (about Sh41.13 billion).

Liberia’s Justice Ministry confirmed her detention, while police chief Gregory Coleman linked the former vice-president to the seizure of cocaine made last month.

Howard-Taylor, 63, has not publicly commented on the allegations. 

Her lawyer told the BBC that he could not comment until she was formally charged in court.

The former vice-president faces charges including the unlicensed importation, sale and transportation of controlled drugs, illicit trafficking, criminal solicitation and criminal facilitation.

The investigation follows Liberia’s intensified crackdown on cocaine trafficking, which has resulted in two major drug seizures in June and July.

Authorities say almost four tonnes of cocaine believed to have been destined for Europe were recovered during a raid in July, in what they described as the country’s biggest-ever drug bust. 

The seizure reportedly exposed a sophisticated transnational trafficking network, prompting investigators to widen their probe to include senior figures within Liberia’s security establishment.

The government also charged three foreigners in absentia for their alleged roles in the network: Croatians Nikolai Ivancic and Mihovil Vrovac and Ukrainian Tara Zaderieko.

Justice Minister Oswald Tweh said authorities would use both domestic and international measures to locate and arrest the suspects.

The government says the investigation is targeting not only those directly involved in transporting the drugs, but also financiers, organisers and individuals accused of facilitating or protecting the trafficking operation.

Howard-Taylor served as Liberia’s vice-president from 2018 to 2024 under former President George Weah. She entered politics after her former husband, ex-President Charles Taylor, left office in 2003.

The case comes as West Africa continues to face growing concerns over its use as a transit route for cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe.