Liberia has charged former Vice-President Jewel Howard-Taylor with alleged drug trafficking, money laundering and other offences as part of an investigation into an international drug network.
The 63-year-old was arrested on Wednesday at Roberts International Airport in Monrovia before she could board a flight.
Police have linked Howard-Taylor to the investigation following the seizure of cocaine worth about $317 million last month.
Police Chief Gregory Coleman said the investigation is targeting a wider network suspected of being involved in the illegal movement of drugs.
Howard-Taylor faces charges including illegal importation, sale and transportation of controlled drugs, drug trafficking, criminal solicitation and criminal facilitation.
She has not publicly commented on the allegations, while her lawyer has said he cannot comment until she is formally presented in court.
Howard-Taylor entered politics after her former husband, Charles Taylor, left office. Charles Taylor served as Liberia’s president from 1997 to 2003 and was later convicted by a UN-backed court for aiding rebels during Sierra Leone’s civil war.
In 2017, George Weah chose Howard-Taylor as his running mate. She served as Liberia’s Vice-President from 2018 to 2024.
Police have also charged three foreign nationals — two Croatians and one Ukrainian — who are accused of being part of the same alleged drug network. They are currently outside Liberia.
Liberian Justice Minister Oswald Tweh said the government would work with international authorities to locate and arrest the suspects.
The investigation comes as Liberia steps up its fight against cocaine trafficking following major drug seizures in June and July.
During a July operation, authorities seized nearly four tonnes of cocaine believed to have been destined for Europe. Officials described it as Liberia’s largest drug seizure.
The government says the investigation is targeting not only those involved in transporting drugs, but also financiers, organisers and people accused of protecting the illegal operation.
“No office is too high, no political connection is too powerful, and no individual is beyond the reach of the law,” the government said.
West Africa has become an important transit route for cocaine moving from South America to Europe, increasing pressure on governments across the region to tackle international drug trafficking.
