By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia — Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh is on the brink of being fired, with multiple sources at the Executive Mansion confirming that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has approved his removal amid allegations that he is entangled with a major drug cartel operating in Liberia.
The Ministry of Justice has since vigorously denied claims connecting Minister Tweh’s official vehicle to drug trafficking operations, dismissing allegations raised by activist Martin K. N. Kollie. According to an official statement, the white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in question is part of a legally procured government fleet purchased in November 2025 for the Liberia National Police. Minister Tweh has consistently maintained a firm stance against organized crime, with the Ministry emphasizing his commitment to combating narcotics trafficking.
However, these denials have done little to quell public concern as Liberia grapples with unprecedented developments in its fight against transnational narcotics—developments that have exposed deep vulnerabilities within the nation’s security apparatus.
Liberia has undergone a dramatic transformation from a minor transit route into a major focal point for international drug cartels, with two massive busts occurring within a span of just two months. These operations have yielded record-breaking seizures, high-level political indictments, and sweeping dismissals across the country’s security architecture.
In a major operation, joint security forces raided an illegal storage facility in the VOA community of Duazon, Margibi County, where authorities uncovered a staggering 3,971 kilograms (nearly 4 tons) of high-grade processed cocaine hidden inside a lorry. The discovery represented the single largest drug seizure in the nation’s history, exposing the scale of the cartel’s operations within Liberian borders.
On June 8, 2026, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) intercepted 237.6 kilograms of compressed cocaine valued at US$19 million at Roberts International Airport (RIA). The shipment, cunningly disguised as “Maggi seasoning cubes,” was packaged in six cargo boxes and destined for export via Brussels Airlines. The government publicly destroyed the combined cache of nearly four tons of cocaine on July 31, 2026, in a dramatic display of its commitment to combating the drug trade.
On August 19, 2026, former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor was intercepted en route to RIA, reportedly scheduled to travel to Ghana for a women’s conference. She was taken to the National Police Headquarters and formally charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy linked to an alleged transnational narcotics network.
The dragnet has also resulted in the arrests of multiple Liberian and foreign nationals, including European and South American cartel operatives, who have been remanded to Monrovia Central Prison as investigations continue.
