– Ex–VP Taylor Seeks Transparency in US$336M Drug Burn
By Jerromie S. Walters
MONROVIA, Liberia — Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor on Thursday demanded that the Liberian government release all court documents and investigative reports related to the record-breaking $336 million cocaine seizure, insisting that authorities acted “under a cloud of darkness” as they burned the massive drug haul in Careysburg.
“Hon Gaye, Government must be more transparent!” Howard-Taylor said in a direct response to EPS Director Sam Gaye. “If this has been done – it was done under the cloud of darkness. The issue of the large quantity of drugs on our shores concerns all of us. It’s still been done with a lack of transparency.””If what you say is true, please issue the reports and court documents,” she added.
The former vice president’s demand came less than an hour after the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency incinerated the US $336 million worth of cocaine on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Careysburg. The burning followed the arrest of two foreign nationals—one Colombian and one Spanish—and several Liberians allegedly connected to the operation.
Earlier Thursday, before the burning, Howard-Taylor had warned that justice must not be sacrificed in the rush to destroy evidence. She demanded that authorities prove every legal and forensic requirement had been fully satisfied before any destruction proceeded, emphasizing that this was “not a call to preserve illegal drugs indefinitely but rather a call to preserve justice.”
EPS Director Sam Gaye responded to the former vice president’s concerns, stating: “Madam former VP, there are legal guidelines regarding the destruction of bulk drug evidence. The process was followed to the letter. Representative samples were collected for presentation in court. And the court legally authorized the destruction pursuant to law and international best practices.”
The record-breaking seizure surpasses the 520 kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately $100 million discovered in October 2022 at the Sonit Liberia Corporation compound in Monrovia. That earlier operation, coordinated with United States and Brazilian authorities, uncovered cocaine hidden among frozen goods shipped from Brazil and led to charges against four men of Liberian, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Guinea-Bissauan nationalities.
The current case began in March 2026, when 237.6 kilograms of cocaine valued at over $19 million was discovered at Roberts International Airport inside cargo boxes falsely labeled as seasoning cubes. That investigation was later compromised after several principal figures fled the country during the probe. The $19 million seizure and the subsequent $3.17 million bust, which led to the arrest of the Colombian and Spanish nationals, together constitute the $336 million haul now destroyed.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed on July 22 that the Joint National Security Investigative Task Force is examining the origin, ownership, method of transport, and intended destination of the seized substances, as well as the identities and roles of all persons connected to the operation. Authorities have revealed that the investigation has uncovered an “organized, sophisticated, complex, and well-funded narcotics trafficking network” that may have been operating in Liberia for more than six years.
In a development that has sent shockwaves through the capital, Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman disclosed that both former and current government officials are being investigated as cartel enablers. Coleman stated that the cartel has been operating since 2021 and that several senior police officers have been implicated for using police escorts to transport the drugs.
Howard-Taylor, while commending security institutions for intercepting the dangerous shipment before it reached Liberian communities or international markets, stressed that given the magnitude of the seizure and the indication that investigations remain active, it was imperative that the government first assure the Liberian people that every legal and forensic requirement has been fully satisfied before any destruction takes place.
The former vice president outlined that the public deserves confidence that all necessary forensic examinations and laboratory analyses had been completed, that adequate samples had been preserved in accordance with the law for future prosecution, that the chain of custody had been fully documented and secured, that every individual connected to this criminal enterprise had been identified, investigated, and where appropriate charged, and that the proposed destruction had received all required legal authorizations and judicial oversight.
Howard-Taylor further argued that this case extends far beyond the seizure of illegal drugs, as it concerns dismantling an organized transnational criminal network that reportedly used Liberia as a transit point. She emphasized that every piece of evidence must be preserved in a manner that protects the integrity of future prosecutions, whether in Liberia or through international cooperation. She warned that the premature destruction of evidence without complete transparency regarding the legal procedures followed risks undermining public confidence and could inadvertently weaken efforts to ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice.
The former vice president respectfully urged the government, the Liberia National Police, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the Ministry of Justice, and all relevant authorities to ensure that the destruction of any seized narcotics occurs only after the public has been assured that every legal, investigative, and evidentiary requirement has been fulfilled. She concluded that Liberia’s fight against drug trafficking must be firm, credible, transparent, and fully anchored in the rule of law, adding that in matters of this national importance, “justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done.”
