Liberian security forces seized what could be the country’s largest haul of suspected cocaine Tuesday, raiding a warehouse in Duazon and detaining two foreign nationals just six weeks after a $19.2 million cocaine bust at Roberts International Airport thrust Liberia’s role in transnational trafficking into the spotlight.
Officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, backed by the Liberia National Police, the Executive Protection Service, and other members of the Joint Security, stormed the warehouse alongside court officials bearing a search and seizure warrant. Dozens of suitcases and boxes believed to contain narcotics were recovered and loaded onto police vehicles for detailed forensic examination.
Authorities had not announced the exact quantity or street value of the substances by late Tuesday, explaining that laboratory testing and inventory counting were still actively underway. While officials at the scene suggested the consignment could be worth more than $200 million, the government stressed that this figure remains unverified until formal analysis and official measurements are complete.
Sources at the scene indicated that the two men taken into custody are believed to be Colombian and Spanish nationals. Both individuals were seen in handcuffs as investigators secured the premises, though security agencies have yet to formally release their identities or file official charges. Investigators are currently working to establish the origin, destination, and ownership of the massive shipment.
Confirming the operation at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah stated that preliminary assessments indicate the substance is believed to be cocaine, but cautioned that verification of its exact composition, total weight, and value is ongoing.
Piah commended the LDEA and partner agencies, describing the raid as evidence of the government’s determination to dismantle trafficking networks and prevent Liberia from becoming a regional transit hub for illicit narcotics. He noted that security agencies continue to intensify intelligence gathering against organized syndicates operating within the country, adding that the Joint Security is expected to issue a formal update once initial procedures conclude. Authorities have not yet disclosed how long the suspected drugs were stored at the facility or whether additional arrests are anticipated.
The Duazon raid comes as investigators continue probing the June 8, 2026 seizure of 237.6 kilograms of cocaine, valued at approximately $19.2 million, at Roberts International Airport, which was previously described as one of the largest cocaine seizures in Liberia’s history. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai responded to that incident by establishing a Joint National Security Investigative Task Force to trace the trafficking network behind the airport shipment.
That ongoing investigation has produced criminal charges including the unlicensed importation and exportation of controlled drugs, illicit trafficking, and criminal conspiracy, with authorities signaling that further prosecutions are expected. However, it has also drawn legislative scrutiny over conflicting official accounts. While the LDEA initially reported arrests, Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh Sr. later informed lawmakers that no formal arrests had been made at the time, clarifying that several individuals had instead been brought in for questioning as persons of interest.
The emergence of another suspected multimillion-dollar cocaine cache while the RIA case remains unresolved is expected to heighten public scrutiny of Liberia’s anti-narcotics effort and raise fresh questions about the scale and sophistication of international trafficking syndicates using the country as a logistics corridor.
Authorities reaffirmed that the Duazon investigation remains active, with the final quantity, verified street value, and additional case details expected to be released once the ongoing search, forensic analysis, and inventory are fully completed.
