Liberia Orders 20 Arrested, Including Ex-Vice President
LIBERIA · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —The country Liberia is a West African state on a cocaine route to Europe.
- —The background Almost four tonnes of cocaine were seized near Monrovia in July.
- —What happened Criminal Court C ordered arrests in the case on Wednesday, 7 October.
- —The accused Ex-Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor is among 20 people named in the indictment.
- —What it means for you No US agency role in the case has been announced.
- —Still open Howard-Taylor denies the charges; no arraignment date has been announced.
Liberia’s Criminal Court “C” has ordered the arrest of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor and others accused in an alleged cocaine network.
A Liberian court ordered the arrest of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor on Wednesday, 7 October, in an alleged cocaine trafficking case. Judge Ousman F. Feika of Criminal Court “C” in Monrovia issued the writs after a grand jury indictment, FrontPageAfrica reported.
FrontPageAfrica called it one of the highest-profile criminal cases in Liberia’s recent history. The indictment names 20 people, including senior police officers and nationals of Croatia and Ukraine.
Howard-Taylor, who served under former President George Weah from 2018 to 2024, denies the allegations. An indictment is a formal accusation, and every defendant is presumed innocent.
What the Court Ordered
Judge Feika ordered capias writs, formal orders that bring accused people before the court, the Liberian Observer reported on Thursday, 8 October. The paper said enforcement falls to the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.
The writs follow a true bill of indictment returned by a special grand jury for Montserrado County, which includes the capital. The charges include unlicensed importation, sale and transport of controlled drugs, illicit trafficking, criminal conspiracy, facilitation, solicitation and money laundering.
Under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023, trafficking above a set quantity is a first-degree felony. Bail is not available as of right for such offences, the Observer noted.
Defendants already in custody will be brought to court for arraignment on the indictment, the paper said. For those still at large, the writs are active arrest orders.
Judge Feika had already refused Howard-Taylor’s bail motion on Thursday, 24 September, according to a statement on the judiciary’s website. She argued that the alleged conduct dated from 2021 and 2022, before the 2023 drug law existed.
The judge ruled the case was not barred if prosecutors prove the alleged conduct, including money laundering, continued through August 2026.
Who Is Named in the Indictment
Howard-Taylor is the former wife of ex-President Charles Taylor, who is serving a 50-year sentence in Britain. An international war crimes court convicted him over atrocities in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
She was stopped at Roberts International Airport in August as she tried to leave the country, according to the Justice Ministry. Judge Feika ordered her moved from prison to house arrest on medical grounds in early September, FrontPageAfrica reported.
Other defendants include Gerald Foley Smith, a former deputy director of Liberia’s National Security Agency. Mark Quiah, a former deputy director of operations at the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority, is also named.
Two senior police officers, Deputy Commissioner Anthony T. Blaye and Assistant Commissioner Wadell W. Kwarbo, face charges too. The foreign defendants include Croatian nationals Nikola Ivancic and Mihovil Vrovac and Ukrainian national Taras Zadereiko.
Sheik Bashiru Kante, a co-defendant, is central to the state’s case against Howard-Taylor, FrontPageAfrica reported. A police witness testified at a preliminary hearing that Kante’s phone held WhatsApp messages and recordings linking him to her.
Defence Disputes the Evidence
Her lawyer, Gbawou Kowou, argues the case rests on Kante’s word, calling it “Sheikh say,” a play on hearsay. He also said prosecutors grouped together people who mostly do not know one another, FrontPageAfrica reported.
Howard-Taylor has said she does not know the three foreign defendants. “I don’t know them,” she told FrontPageAfrica.
Charging documents say she received US$135,000 from people linked to the alleged network, FrontPageAfrica reported. That allegedly includes US$75,000 for her charitable foundation, below the median yearly income of a US household.
A FrontPageAfrica review of the 55-page indictment found dates that shift between pages and a wrong end date for her term. The paper also said the indictment was filed before a different court, Criminal Assizes “A” under Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie.
The July Cocaine Seizure
In July, the government announced what it described as Liberia’s largest-ever cocaine seizure. The haul weighed almost four tonnes, roughly two full-size American pickup trucks, and was valued at about US$317 million.
Police raided a compound on Cement Road in the VOA Community near Monrovia on Tuesday, 21 July, FrontPageAfrica reported. It said two foreign men were arrested at the scene.
The Liberian Observer reported that the indictment stems from the investigation that followed the seizure. FrontPageAfrica’s 7 October report quoted officials as saying the seizure and the Howard-Taylor case were separate investigations.
West Africa has long been a transit route for South American cocaine bound for Europe. Officials said the July shipment was believed to be heading there.
What It Means for US Readers
No US Justice Department or Drug Enforcement Administration role in the case has been announced. The cocaine seized in July was believed to be bound for Europe, not the United States.
Liberia, settled in the 19th century by freed African Americans, keeps close ties with Washington. It uses the US dollar alongside its own currency, so every amount in the case is in US dollars.
Large Liberian communities live in US states such as Minnesota, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.
Citing a court record, FrontPageAfrica reported that Kante was arrested in Maryland in 2022 on charges unrelated to narcotics. That report could not be independently confirmed.
President Joseph Boakai, who took office in January 2024, has pledged that no office is too high for the law. A case that fails on procedure would raise doubts about Liberia’s drive against drug networks.
What Is Not Known
The exact date the grand jury returned the indictment is not public. FrontPageAfrica said the date beside the foreman’s signature appears to read 2025.
Reports differ on the number of counts against Howard-Taylor. The Liberian Observer cited eight counts, while FrontPageAfrica said she faces seven of 11.
It is not clear how the case formally connects to the July seizure or how much cocaine it involves. Neither the judiciary nor the Justice Ministry had published a statement on the writs by Thursday morning.
Defence sources told FrontPageAfrica that Kante wanted US$500,000 before testifying. The Justice Ministry denied offering him any payment, and the claim is unconfirmed.
What Comes Next
Defendants in custody are expected to be arraigned first and asked to enter pleas, the Liberian Observer reported. The Justice Ministry has not announced an arraignment date.
Lawyers are expected to file motions, possibly including a motion to quash the indictment. The court may also try defendants in custody separately to protect their right to a speedy trial.
The writs do not mean any defendant has been found guilty. Prosecutors must prove each person’s individual role with admissible evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jewel Howard-Taylor?
She was Liberia’s vice president from 2018 to 2024 under President George Weah. She is the former wife of ex-President Charles Taylor.
What is she accused of?
Prosecutors accuse her of drug trafficking, conspiracy and money laundering under Liberia’s 2023 drug law. She denies the allegations, and none has been proven in court.
Is the United States involved in the case?
No US agency role has been announced. Officials said the cocaine seized in July was believed to be heading to Europe.
Can she get bail?
Judge Ousman F. Feika denied her bail motion on 24 September. Major trafficking is a first-degree felony under the 2023 law and is not bailable as of right.
What happens next?
Defendants in custody are expected to be arraigned first and asked to enter pleas. No arraignment date had been announced by Thursday, 8 October.
Sources: Judiciary of Liberia, bail ruling statement (24 September 2026); FrontPageAfrica (7 October 2026); Liberian Observer (8 October 2026); FrontPageAfrica, indictment review (8 October 2026); FrontPageAfrica (5 October 2026); FrontPageAfrica (7 September 2026) (all accessed 8 October 2026).
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