Liberia has charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering and other offenses as part of an investigation into an international narcotics network, the country’s attorney general said on Wednesday.
Howard Taylor was arrested at Roberts International Airport while attempting to leave Liberia and was taken to national police headquarters, according to authorities.
The charges include unlicensed importation of controlled substances, criminal solicitation and criminal conspiracy.
The arrest comes weeks after Liberian authorities announced the seizure of cocaine worth about $317 million that was allegedly destined for Europe, highlighting concerns over Liberia’s growing role as a transit point in the international drug trade.
Howard-Taylor, who is the former wife of convicted Liberian war criminal Charles Taylor, served as Liberia’s vice president from 2018 to 2024.
Her lawyer was not immediately available for comment.
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