Nearly three weeks ago, Liberia was jolted by a major cocaine interception at Roberts International Airport our country’s only international gateway. The drugs, compressed into plates and valued at about US$19.2 million, were hidden inside six cargo boxes bound for Brussels Airlines. They passed through layers of state security before being stopped at the last moment, exposing a serious breakdown in the system meant to protect the nation.
At first, we chose not to speak loudly about the case. That silence was intentional. We wanted the investigation to move without interference, while we did the necessary work behind the scenes in the House of Representatives. The goal was never to produce noise. The goal was to produce action and accountability for the Liberian people.
Yesterday, the House finally acted. Based on the facts before us, we moved to suspend the contract of Global Logistics Services (GLS) at the airport, closing what is clearly a dangerous institutional gap at our border. But while the Legislature has taken a firm step, the Executive Branch has remained slow, quiet, and seemingly unconcerned.
What the Liberian people have seen since this bust is not leadership. It is hesitation. It is silence. It is a national embarrassment. Three weeks later, the country still has more questions than answers. Instead of clarity, the public has been given confusion.
A troubling silence from the “Rescue” government
If this drug case had involved members of the opposition, the response would likely have been instant and aggressive. There would be press conferences every day, public arrests, and dramatic statements from officials eager to appear decisive.
But today, the same administration is quiet. Too quiet.
Why is there so little urgency? Who is being protected? This is not a small matter that will disappear with time. It is a direct assault on the future of our young people, especially at a time when Liberia is already struggling with kush and other narcotics that are destroying lives across the country.
A weak Justice Ministry and compromised enforcement
The biggest problem is the weakness of the institutions that should be leading the response. The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency and the Ministry of Justice have moved painfully slowly. While private citizens and social media users are circulating videos and insider information, the official agencies appear stuck. We were told that “persons of interest” had been identified. Yet weeks later, the key players, financiers, and senior airport and security officials who may have enabled this breach are still not clearly named and remain free.
That is unacceptable.
A Justice Ministry that cannot speak boldly in a national crisis looks weak. Enforcement agencies that cannot move with speed in a case of this scale look toothless. The public has every right to ask why.
Liberia must not become a narco-state
President Boakai recently said on ELBC that Liberia will not become a safe haven or transit point for drug cartels. Those words were right. But words alone do not dismantle drug networks.
The reality is far more dangerous. A seizure of US$19.2 million in cocaine at RIA is not ordinary criminal activity. It means criminal networks have penetrated deep into Liberia’s logistics and security systems. It means this is no longer just a law enforcement issue. It is a national security crisis.
At a time when Liberia is already fighting a kush epidemic and other narcotics that are eating away at the youth, this case should be treated like the emergency it is.
The Legislature has moved; the Executive must follow
The House of Representatives has done its part. We did not wait for permission. We acted to suspend the GLS contract at the airport because the evidence showed a serious vulnerability that could not be ignored.
We have also summoned the Ministry of Justice and demanded full, honest briefings. The public deserves to know why the investigation is moving so slowly, why the stories keep changing, and why there still seems to be no clear path to justice for those who enabled this shipment.
The Legislature is not hiding. We are doing our job. Now the executive enforcement agencies must stop hiding behind closed doors, stop protecting allies, and start producing results.
What the President must do now
Mr. President, the Liberian people deserve the following:
- Immediate transparency.
The LDEA and the Minister of Justice must begin giving the public daily updates. No more selective leaks. No more closed-door secrecy. The country needs names, faces, institutions, and facts. - Independent oversight.
If the administration cannot handle this matter without shielding political allies or connected actors, then an independent multi-agency task force should be established, with international partners included in the oversight process.
This is now a question of trust
The failure to move swiftly is no longer looking like simple incompetence. It is beginning to look like something worse. The people of Liberia are watching closely.
This country cannot afford to lose its youth to drugs. It cannot afford a security system that lets such a large cocaine shipment get this far. And it cannot afford a government that speaks tough on the radio while acting weak in practice.
Liberia is not for sale to drug cartels. The Executive must prove that with action, not speeches.
