IPNEWS: Delta Air Lines has imposed a complete cargo embargo on all freight moving to, from, and through Liberia. The airline announced the strict measure on its official Delta Cargo Policy Page, placing Liberia on a restricted list alongside 11 other nations—including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria. Under this policy, no cargo will be accepted or transported on Delta Air Lines or Delta Connection aircraft, regardless of the air waybill stock used.
Local investigative reports say regional tracking networks connect Delta’s sudden embargo to a massive drug interdiction in the 198 compressed plates of high-grade cocaine at Roberts International Airport (RIA) valued at 19.2 Millon by the Joint Security Forces and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
The multimillion-dollar shipment was intercepted just as it was being prepared for export to Europe.
The incident exposed immense security vulnerabilities at Liberia’s main airport, resulting in government investigations, the suspension of airport staff, and a subsequent legislative resolution by lawmakers to temporarily suspend the airport’s cargo handler, GLS Menzies Aviation Cargo Services.
While Delta Air Lines suspended direct passenger flights to Monrovia back in 2014, the airline had quietly continued to move significant volumes of Liberian freight via its international network and interline partnerships. For example, Delta frequently picked up cargo originating from Liberia that had been transferred to regional hubs like Ghana or Sierra Leone.
With the complete block now enacted, Delta will refuse Liberian freight anywhere in its global system. Local analysts warn that the move risks isolating Liberia from international air freight networks, disrupting commercial supply chains, and compounding existing aviation compliance issues at Roberts International Airport.
