-Officials Say Probe Extends Beyond US$19 Million and US$317.68 Million Cocaine Seizures as Authorities Pursue Organized Criminal Network Operating Across Liberia
MONROVIA, Liberia – The Liberian Government has signaled that more arrests and criminal charges are imminent as investigators deepen what officials describe as an unprecedented effort to dismantle an organized drug trafficking cartel believed to have operated in the country for years.
Speaking Thursday at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah said ongoing investigations are no longer focused solely on the record US$19 million and US$317.68 million cocaine seizures but on uprooting the broader criminal enterprise that authorities believe enabled Liberia to become a transit point for international narcotics trafficking.
“We have to ensure that our country is not used as a drug hub,” Piah declared.
“The mission here is not just to find culprits… but to uproot what we know is a cartel that has been entrenched in our country.”
Government Says Investigations Still Active
Providing an update on the rapidly expanding investigation, Piah said investigators continue to pursue multiple leads and have not yet reached the end of the inquiry.
He noted that authorities are following evidence as it emerges and that additional individuals will be formally charged whenever investigators establish their involvement in the alleged trafficking network.
“When we were here Tuesday, we announced that somebody else was charged,” Piah said.
“We said additional charges will be made. We haven’t reached a conclusion because the investigations still continue.”
“But as soon as we get to the end of those investigations, and additional people are determined to be persons who are involved, there will be charges as we’ve done in previous cases.”
‘Nobody Is a Sacred Cow’
Reaffirming President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.’s oft-repeated position on the anti-drug campaign, Piah stressed that no government official will receive protection if credible evidence links them to the criminal enterprise.
He said the investigation remains independent and evidence-driven, regardless of an individual’s rank or position in government.
“Nobody is guaranteeing that there can be a sacred cow,” he said.
“It can even be me, it can be the Attorney General himself, it can even be the Dean of the Cabinet. When the evidence points to anyone, we will not be protected, we will not be covered.”
The Minister said the government’s objective is to restore public confidence in state institutions while ensuring Liberia never becomes a regional center for narcotics trafficking.
Maritime Investigation Still Underway
Piah also provided an update on the government’s pursuit of a foreign cargo vessel that recently entered public attention after reports linked it to the country’s expanding narcotics investigation.
Without naming the vessel during the briefing, he confirmed that Liberian authorities continue to work with regional partners after the ship reportedly moved beyond Liberia’s territorial waters before security forces could intercept it.
According to him, the Liberian Coast Guard initially attempted to reach the vessel, but its limited offshore operational capacity required assistance from neighboring countries.
“We contacted regional partners to assist in pursuing the vessel since the capacity of our men to move deeper into sea was limited,” Piah explained.
“I want to say that that process of pursuing the vessel is still ongoing, and we are determined not to allow the vessel to escape.”
Government Promises Transparency
The Information Minister assured Liberians that the government would continue updating the public as the investigation progresses.
He said transparency remains an important part of the administration’s response while recognizing that some operational details cannot yet be disclosed because investigations remain active.
“As we make further progress, I will continue to update you because we have been—and will continue to be—transparent,” he said.
International Support Growing
Thursday’s briefing also underscored the increasingly international character of Liberia’s anti-drug campaign.
Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow-Nyanti and Justice Minister Counselor Natu Oswald Tweh disclosed that Liberia continues to receive operational assistance from international partners, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, while cooperation has expanded to several European and African countries.
Officials said the partnerships are helping investigators trace transnational trafficking routes, identify suspects and strengthen the broader investigation into organized criminal networks operating across Liberia.
Background
Liberia’s ongoing anti-narcotics investigation began after security agencies 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 dramatically, leading to the dismissal, suspension, arrest and prosecution of officials from the Liberia National Police, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, National Security Agency, Roberts International Airport, and several other government institutions.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. has repeatedly pledged that there will be “no sacred cows” in the investigation, while government officials insist the objective extends beyond prosecuting individual offenders to dismantling the organized criminal infrastructure that has enabled transnational narcotics trafficking to flourish.
With investigations continuing across multiple fronts—including financial transactions, logistics operations, maritime movements and international connections—officials say Liberia’s largest-ever anti-drug operation is still far from over.
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