By Lincoln G. Peters
MARGIBI COUNTY, August 4, 2026 – Margibi County Senator Nathaniel F. McGill, Chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Legislative Caucus, has declared that Liberia is “bleeding” under the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, citing recent security developments, including reports of a suspicious vessel off Liberia’s coast and ongoing high-profile narcotics cases.
McGill made the remarks Tuesday in a post on his official Facebook page, calling for divine intervention amid growing public concern over the incidents.
“The nation is bleeding. God, please have mercy on us and intervene,” McGill wrote.
His comments came as Liberian authorities continue investigating a vessel of interest detected within the country’s territorial waters.
The Government of Liberia has requested assistance from regional maritime partners after the Liberia Coast Guard said it lacked the operational capacity to pursue the vessel into deeper waters.
Authorities say the vessel, identified as IB Atlantic IV MORONI, initially drew attention after a communication reported that it was in distress and required food, water, and engine lubricants. However, security officials later classified it as a vessel of interest after observing what they described as suspicious movements.
According to the government, the vessel moved away as Coast Guard personnel attempted to approach it and remains under surveillance while regional partners assist efforts to intercept and inspect it.
Separately, McGill’s statement also followed the government’s destruction of more than US$336 million worth of seized cocaine on July 30 in Zeewhorr, Margibi County.
The destroyed narcotics included approximately US$19 million worth of cocaine intercepted at Roberts International Airport in June and an additional US$317 million shipment seized in Duazon, Margibi County, during what authorities have described as one of Liberia’s largest anti-narcotics operations.
The destruction was carried out by the Joint National Security Investigative Team in the presence of senior government officials, including Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah, Executive Protection Service Director Sam Gaye, and other security officials.
Authorities have maintained that representative samples of the narcotics were preserved for evidentiary purposes while investigations into the alleged trafficking network continue.
The government has also said additional arrests and prosecutions are expected as investigators work to dismantle what officials describe as an entrenched transnational drug trafficking operation.
The Liberia National Coast Guard and other security agencies have not linked the vessel under investigation to the ongoing narcotics cases, and authorities have not publicly disclosed the vessel’s cargo or destination.
Investigations into both matters remain ongoing.
