Ex-Liberia VP Jewel Howard-Taylor remanded in alleged cocaine trafficking case

A Liberian court has ordered former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor to remain in custody as she awaits trial on drug trafficking, money laundering and other charges linked to an alleged transnational narcotics network.

The Monrovia City Court on Tuesday rejected a request from Howard-Taylor’s lawyers to allow her to remain at a hospital in the capital for medical treatment. Reports indicate that she suffered an asthma attack and had high blood pressure while in police custody following her arrest on August 19.

Howard-Taylor was arrested at Roberts International Airport while attempting to leave Liberia and is facing charges alongside three foreign nationals who were charged in absentia. Her lawyers have rejected the allegations on grounds that they are politically motivated.

However, investigators argue that the case is supported by travel records, audio recordings, witness accounts and evidence of Howard-Taylor’s alleged links to people involved in the cocaine trafficking network.

The investigation gained further attention last month when Liberian authorities seized about 4.2 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of $317 million (Sh41 billion). The drugs were later destroyed as authorities continued their efforts to dismantle the trafficking network.

The case has put renewed focus on Howard-Taylor, a prominent figure in Liberian politics who served as a senator for Bong County from 2006 to 2018 before becoming vice president under former President George Weah. She served as vice president from 2018 to 2024 and was Liberia’s first female vice president.

Howard-Taylor is also the former wife of Charles Taylor, Liberia’s president from 1997 to 2003, who was later convicted by an international court over crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s civil war.

The investigation is unfolding as West Africa continues to face pressure over its growing role as a transit route for cocaine moving from South America to Europe. Criminal networks have exploited porous borders and weak enforcement in parts of the region to move drugs across countries.