International network and cocaine: George Weah's former second-in-command indicted

Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has been formally charged with drug trafficking, money laundering and several other related offenses, according to reports from the British media outlet BBC .

Jewel Howard-Taylor, who served as Vice President of the Republic from 2018 to 2024 under President George Weah, was detained by security forces at Roberts International Airport in Monrovia as she was about to board a commercial flight. The former leader has not yet publicly commented on the serious accusations against her.

According to information released by the Liberian Ministry of Justice and reported by the BBC , Jewel Howard-Taylor is suspected of illegally importing, selling, and transporting controlled substances, while also facilitating the development of drug trafficking networks both nationally and internationally. As part of the same investigation, Liberian police have also charged three foreign nationals—two Croatians and a Ukrainian—in absentia, accusing them of being part of the same criminal network.

This high-profile arrest is part of a major offensive launched by Liberian authorities against transnational drug trafficking, and more specifically cocaine trafficking. West Africa has indeed become, in recent years, a major transit zone for cocaine from South America destined for the European market.

The George Weah administration's term was marked by recurring accusations of corruption and financial mismanagement. His successor, President Joseph Boakai, pledged upon taking office to strengthen the fight against institutional corruption and to firmly close the country's territory to drug trafficking networks.