Liberia charges former vice president in drug trafficking investigation

Liberian authorities charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking and money laundering on August 19, 2026. She served as vice president under President George Weah from 2018 to 2024. She is also the former wife of Charles Taylor, who was convicted of war crimes.

The charges are connected to a transnational drug network. In the weeks before the charges, police seized around $317 million worth of cocaine that was heading to Europe. Three other suspects, two Croatian nationals and one Ukrainian national, were charged in their absence. Authorities are seeking international arrest warrants for those still at large.

West Africa is a common route for cocaine moving from South America to Europe. Liberia has seen several large drug seizures in recent months.