Liberia has charged former Vice-President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering and a range of other offences, the country’s justice ministry confirmed.
Howard-Taylor, who was in office between 2018 and 2024, was detained before boarding a flight at Roberts International Airport in the capital Monrovia.
She has yet to make any public comment about the charges.
The West African country has launched a major crackdown against the transnational drug trades in recent years, particularly cocaine trafficking.
Howard-Taylor is accused of illegally importing, selling and transporting controlled drugs, as well as helping to facilitate drug trafficking.
Police have charged three foreign nationals – two Croatians and one Ukrainian – in absentia as part of their investigation. They are accused of being part of the same network as the former politician.
Howard-Taylor held a senior role in former President George Weah’s administration, whose six years saw repeated allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.
He was succeeded by President Joseph Boakai, who pledged to crack down on corruption and resist efforts from traffickers to set up bases in Liberia.
West Africa has increasingly been used as a major transit route for cocaine trading from South America to Europe.
