Monrovia, Liberia — August 19, 2026: Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has been formally charged in connection with an ongoing investigation into an alleged transnational narcotics network operating in Liberia and beyond, the Ministry of Justice has announced.
According to a formal statement issued by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Howard-Taylor was stopped from departing Liberia at Roberts International Airport and later taken to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police for questioning.
The government says she has been charged under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act of 2023 with unlicensed importation, sale, distribution and transportation of a controlled drug or substance, as well as illicit trafficking.
She also faces charges under Liberia’s Penal Law for criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation and criminal conspiracy, in addition to an alleged violation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Law relating to money laundering.
The Ministry of Justice also announced charges in absentia against three alleged members and organizers of the same network: Nikolai Ivancic and Mihovil Vrovac, both Croatian nationals, and Tara Zaderieko, a Ukrainian national.
The government says it will pursue domestic and international measures to locate and bring the three defendants before Liberian courts.
Meanwhile, former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency for Administration, Gerald Smith, has been called in for questioning as part of the same investigation.
The Ministry of Justice described the development as a major step in efforts to dismantle what it called a transnational narcotics network, including its alleged leadership, financiers, facilitators, transporters and institutional protectors.
The government, however, stressed that the charges are allegations and do not constitute findings of guilt. It said all defendants remain presumed innocent and are entitled to due process, legal representation and other protections guaranteed under Liberian law.
The Ministry said the investigation remains active and sensitive and that further information will be released when legally and operationally appropriate.
