Liberia charges former VP Jewel Howard-Taylor over $317M cocaine bust

Liberia has formally charged former Vice-President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering, and other serious crimes, amid an ongoing probe into a vast narcotics ring. She was apprehended at Roberts International Airport in Monrovia on Wednesday, just moments before attempting to board a flight. Liberia's police chief has connected her to the seizure of $317 million worth of cocaine last month, marking the country's most significant drug bust to date.

At 63 years old, Howard-Taylor, a former politician, has yet to address the allegations publicly. Her legal counsel stated they could provide an official response only after her formal court appearance. Howard-Taylor entered politics following her ex-husband, former President Charles Taylor, who resigned from power in 2003 after a decade in office.

Taylor rose to prominence as a rebel leader before becoming Liberia's president in 1997. After his term ended, he was arrested and convicted by a UN-backed court for his role in aiding and abetting rebels in Sierra Leone during the 1991-2002 civil war, a conflict that claimed around 50,000 lives.

Howard-Taylor's political career resumed when George Weah, her former presidential running mate, appointed her as his deputy during his presidency from 2018 to 2024. She now stands accused of unlicensed drug importation, sale, and transportation, illicit trafficking, criminal solicitation, and criminal facilitation. Three foreign nationals - two Croatians and one Ukrainian - have been charged in absentia for their alleged involvement in the same narcotics network.

Liberian Justice Minister Oswald Tweh revealed that authorities will employ both domestic and international measures to track down and apprehend these foreign nationals. Liberia has intensified its efforts to combat cocaine trafficking following two large-scale seizures in June and July, the latter involving nearly four tonnes of cocaine headed for Europe.

The authorities described this as the most significant drug bust in the country's history and claimed it had uncovered a sophisticated, transnational trafficking operation. The investigation has also extended to senior figures within Liberia's security establishment, with officials emphasizing that no one is immune from the law, regardless of their political connections, nationality, or office.

The government's statement underscores the gravity of the situation, declaring that West Africa has become a major transit route for cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe.