Capitol Hill, July 2, 2026 – Liberia’s Joint Security has informed the Senate that the country is being used as a transit point for international drug trafficking rather than a producer of narcotics, as investigators move closer to filing criminal charges in the US$19.2 million cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport (RIA).
Providing lawmakers with an update on the investigation Wednesday, Inspector General of Police Col. Gregory Coleman said the case is being treated as a national security priority because it involves a transnational criminal network operating beyond Liberia’s borders.
Responding to a question from Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon on Liberia’s role in the international drug trade, Coleman said available evidence indicates that Liberia serves as a transit corridor for narcotics destined for other markets.
“Liberia is currently being used as a transnational shipment route for narcotic drugs. We don’t produce them here because we don’t have the market,” Coleman told the Senate.
He said investigators are working with international partners to determine the origin of the cocaine through chemical analysis while simultaneously pursuing those linked to the shipment inside Liberia.
According to Coleman, authorities are separating the investigation into two components—one focusing on the international trafficking network and another targeting individuals connected to the shipment within Liberia.
He cautioned against speculation on social media, saying many of the individuals being publicly identified may not be the principal actors behind the operation.
“Those people they are showing on Facebook are diversion tactics. They don’t have the capacity to own cargo worth US$19 million. They may have played some role, but we are moving to dismantle the criminal cartel,” he said.
Coleman disclosed that investigators are transitioning several individuals from “persons of interest” to potential criminal suspects and indicated that formal charges are expected within days.
He said aspects of the investigation remain classified to avoid compromising ongoing operations but assured lawmakers that authorities are committed to ensuring all those responsible are arrested and prosecuted.
“There is an active investigation that goes beyond the borders of Liberia where the network operates,” he said. “We have not yet established how the drugs entered Liberia. We are investigating every possible route, including land and sea, because Liberia’s borders remain vulnerable.”
Coleman added that investigators are examining the entire supply chain, including operations at the cargo terminal of Roberts International Airport, the cargo handling company, airport personnel, and the international network behind the shipment.
He emphasized that the authorities are withholding certain details only to protect the integrity of the investigation and insisted that no individual implicated in the case would be shielded from prosecution.
