Liberia: Joint Security Forces Uncover Suspected U.S.$50m Cocaine Cache

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Liberian Observer report, said Liberian joint security forces have arrested two foreign nationals and uncovered a suspected cocaine cache in the VOA community along the Roberts International Airport Highway. Authorities estimated the possible street value at up to US$50 million, while cautioning that laboratory tests are still under way to confirm the substance and establish the exact quantity. The discovery was announced Tuesday by government officials, according to the report dated July 22, 2026.

The operation involved the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, Liberia National Police and other national security bodies after what officials described as weeks of intelligence work, surveillance and coordinated investigation. Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah told a Ministry of Information briefing that preliminary findings suggested the seizure could exceed previous narcotics cases in Liberia, and said the government was working to prevent traffickers from using the country as a transit route.

Authorities identified the two arrested suspects as a Colombian citizen and a Spanish citizen, reportedly found at the location where the suspected drugs were stored. The report said they are assisting investigators as security agencies seek to determine whether a wider cross-border trafficking network was involved and whether the VOA cache is directly linked to an earlier seizure at Roberts International Airport.

That earlier case involved about 237.6 kilograms of suspected cocaine valued at more than US$19 million, according to the article, and prompted further investigation. Forensic and inventory work is now being conducted to determine the suspected cache’s weight, origin, market value and intended destination. Officials said more arrests could follow as the inquiry continues.