–Government Says Bar Owner Faces Multiple Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering and Economic Sabotage Charges as Investigators Expand Probe Beyond the US$19 Million and US$317.68 Million Cocaine Seizures
MONROVIA, Liberia – Liberia’s Joint National Security Investigation Team on Wednesday, August 5th, raided Private Bar, an entertainment establishment owned by George Leroy Harris, as authorities intensified what they describe as an expanding investigation into an alleged drug trafficking cartel believed to have operated in the country for years.
The operation came just hours after the Government confirmed that the Liberia National Police (LNP) had formally charged Harris with multiple narcotics, financial and organized crime-related offenses, marking another major development in one of Liberia’s largest anti-drug investigations.
Eyewitnesses said heavily armed members of the Joint Security Team, comprising investigators from various security agencies, were seen conducting operations at the premises as authorities searched for evidence believed to be connected to the ongoing investigation. While officials have not publicly disclosed what, if anything, was recovered during the raid, the operation signals that investigators are continuing to pursue fresh evidence as they seek to dismantle what they believe is a sophisticated drug trafficking network.
Government Confirms Charges Against Harris
Speaking during Tuesday’s regular Ministry of Information press briefing, Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah confirmed that George Harris—whom he referred to as “George Harris, some say Leroy,” and identified as the owner of Private Bar—has been formally charged by the Liberia National Police.
According to Minister Piah, Harris faces an array of serious criminal charges, including:
- Unlicensed possession of illicit drug substances;
- Unlicensed importation of illicit drugs;
- Drug trafficking;
- Trading, distribution and sale of illicit drug substances;
- Economic sabotage;
- Money laundering;
- Criminal conspiracy;
- Criminal facilitation; and
- Criminal solicitation.
The charges represent another significant step in the government’s expanding anti-drug campaign, which has already led to the arrest, dismissal, suspension and prosecution of several individuals, including senior government and security officials.
Investigation Goes Beyond One Cocaine Seizure
Minister Piah stressed that Harris’ prosecution should not be viewed solely through the lens of the attempted export of approximately US$19 million worth of cocaine through Roberts International Airport (RIA).
Instead, he said, investigators are pursuing what authorities now believe is a much broader and deeply entrenched criminal enterprise.
“The investigation is not just about the drugs that were seized,” Piah said.
He disclosed that security agencies have uncovered evidence suggesting the existence of an organized drug trafficking operation that has allegedly been active in Liberia since 2018, and that current investigations are examining the network as a whole rather than treating individual drug seizures as isolated incidents.
According to the Minister, investigators are tracing financial transactions, communications, logistics operations and other activities believed to be linked to the alleged cartel.
Authorities: More Charges Are Coming
The Information Minister also made it clear that Harris is unlikely to be the last person prosecuted.
He revealed that several additional individuals have already been questioned and that more arrests and criminal charges are expected as investigators continue gathering evidence.
“When the facts are established linking individuals to not just the US$19 million drug situation or the US$317 million case, but the cartel operation in general, those individuals will be appropriately charged,” Piah said.
His comments underscore the government’s determination to pursue every individual allegedly connected to the broader trafficking network, regardless of their social status or institutional affiliation.
Birthday Party Connection Previously Drew Public Attention
Harris’ name first gained widespread public attention following investigative reports linking him socially to individuals already charged or wanted in the cocaine case.
Earlier reporting indicated that Usman Ali, the United Kingdom-based consignee charged in the US$19 million cocaine case, attended a birthday celebration hosted for Harris and Michael U.S. Browne, one of the principal suspects now facing charges in absentia, just weeks before the cocaine shipment was intercepted at Roberts International Airport.
Although investigators have not suggested that attendance at the gathering constitutes criminal conduct, the reported associations have formed part of the broader public conversation surrounding the expanding investigation.
From US$19 Million to US$317.68 Million
The government’s anti-drug operation began after security officers at Roberts International Airport intercepted approximately 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value exceeding US$19 million, concealed inside cargo destined for the United Kingdom.
Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of an additional 3,971 plates of cocaine, bringing the combined estimated street value of narcotics seized in the broader investigation to approximately US$336.68 million.
Those discoveries transformed what initially appeared to be a single airport interdiction into one of Liberia’s most consequential criminal investigations, exposing alleged links extending across multiple institutions and prompting an unprecedented national security response.
Boakai’s ‘No Sacred Cows’ Policy
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. has repeatedly vowed that no individual connected to narcotics trafficking will be protected from investigation or prosecution.
His administration has dismissed senior officials from the Liberia National Police, National Security Agency, Roberts International Airport, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, and other public institutions, while directing investigators to pursue every lead without fear or favor.
Government officials say the objective is not merely to prosecute isolated offenders but to dismantle the entire criminal infrastructure that has enabled Liberia to emerge as a transit point for international narcotics trafficking.
Tuesday’s raid on Private Bar, coupled with the formal charges against George Leroy Harris, represents another significant milestone in that effort.
With investigators continuing to execute search operations, analyze financial records and pursue additional suspects, the government’s widening investigation appears far from over.
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