-Sara Beysolow-Nyanti Says Direct Engagement with Senior U.S. Officials Brought Federal Agents to Liberia as Government Deepens International Cooperation Against Transnational Drug Trafficking
MONROVIA, Liberia – Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow-Nyanti has disclosed that direct engagements with senior officials of the United States Government helped secure the deployment of agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to support Liberia’s expanding investigation into what authorities describe as one of the country’s largest transnational drug trafficking cases.
Speaking Thursday during the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, the Foreign Minister revealed that she personally reached out to senior American officials shortly after the interception of approximately US$19 million worth of cocaine at Roberts International Airport (RIA), triggering a rapid response from Washington that has since strengthened Liberia’s ongoing investigation.
According to Beysolow-Nyanti, she contacted senior U.S. officials after receiving briefing points from Liberia’s Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
“I could pick up the phone and I could call to speak with President Trump’s advisor on Homeland Security,” she said.
“After I called them, I received a call from the White House Situation Room, the National Security Council of the United States.”
DEA Agents Arrived Within Days
The Foreign Minister said the engagement quickly produced tangible results.
After providing U.S. officials with details surrounding Liberia’s cocaine seizure, she said agents from the DEA were deployed to Liberia to assist local investigators in expanding the scope of the investigation.
“I gave them the points that were necessary after the US$19 million bust. And that’s how we got boots on the ground from the U.S. DEA to help us get to where we are,” Beysolow-Nyanti disclosed.
Her remarks provide one of the clearest public accounts yet of how Liberia secured direct international law enforcement assistance following the country’s largest narcotics investigations.
Justice Minister Confirms Ongoing U.S. Support
Justice Minister and Attorney General Counselor Natu Oswald Tweh, who also addressed the press briefing, reinforced the Foreign Minister’s account, confirming that agents from both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security are actively participating in the investigation.
Tweh disclosed that he met earlier Thursday with the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy as part of continuing coordination between the two governments.
“I am pleased to inform you that agents of the U.S. DEA and Homeland Security are in Liberia and are participating in the investigation,” Tweh said.
“We can confidently say that we are working closely with the U.S. Government on this matter.”
According to the Attorney General, American officials continue to express confidence in Liberia’s handling of the investigation and remain committed to supporting the government’s efforts to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks.
International Cooperation Expands
Beyond the United States, Beysolow-Nyanti said Liberia has sought assistance from several international partners as investigators pursue leads that extend beyond the country’s borders.
She revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engaging governments including the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Morocco, and Rwanda to strengthen cooperation on the ongoing investigation.
The Foreign Minister noted that some of the cocaine shipments under investigation were allegedly destined for foreign markets, making international collaboration essential to identifying everyone involved in the trafficking networks.
“The UK, where drugs are headed, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium—we’ve called on several states to help us with this investigation,” she said.
‘This Is a Liberia Matter’
Despite the extensive international cooperation, Beysolow-Nyanti emphasized that criminal prosecutions arising from Liberia’s investigations will primarily remain within Liberia’s judicial system.
She dismissed public speculation that suspects would automatically be transferred to the United States for prosecution because American agencies are assisting with the investigation.
“This is a Liberia matter,” she said.
“Them coming to the ground to help us is to help us expand the length and breadth of this investigation.”
She explained that individuals who violate Liberian law will generally be prosecuted in Liberia unless they are also wanted in other jurisdictions for offenses committed abroad.
Government Says Fight Against Drug Cartels Is International
The Foreign Minister described the anti-drug campaign as one of the Boakai administration’s highest national security priorities, stressing that organized narcotics trafficking cannot be defeated by Liberia acting alone.
She praised the collaboration among Liberia’s Joint Security agencies, the Ministry of Justice, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, and international partners, saying the coordinated effort has already produced significant investigative breakthroughs.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., she noted, has consistently instructed government institutions to pursue every credible lead while ensuring Liberia does not become a transit hub for international drug trafficking.
Background
Liberia’s ongoing anti-narcotics investigation began after authorities intercepted approximately 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, valued at more than US$19 million, concealed inside cargo destined for the United Kingdom through Roberts International Airport.
Subsequent operations uncovered an additional 3,971 plates of cocaine, bringing the estimated combined street value of narcotics seized during the broader investigation to approximately US$317.68 million.
The investigation has since expanded into what authorities describe as an organized criminal network involving multiple individuals and institutions. Several government officials and members of the security sector have been dismissed, suspended, arrested or charged as investigators continue tracing financial transactions, logistics networks and international connections linked to the alleged cartel.
With assistance now coming from the United States and several other international partners, Liberian authorities say the investigation has entered a new phase focused on dismantling transnational narcotics networks rather than simply prosecuting isolated offenders.
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