IPNEWS: Former Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has been hospitalized under police guard after falling ill while in custody on serious criminal charges. She was rushed to a medical center in Congo Town after experiencing hypotension (low blood pressure) and an asthma attack, which postponed her scheduled court appearance.
The Justice Ministry on Wednesday evening formally charged Howard-Taylor as part of an investigation into a massive transnational narcotics network. She faces more than eight separate charges, including: Drug trafficking and money laundering, Unlicensed importation, sale, distribution, and transportation of controlled substances, Criminal solicitation, facilitation, and conspiracy
Authorities have linked the former Liberian Vice President to an international drug ring, which follows a major crackdown on a separate record-breaking $317 million cocaine shipment intercepted in Liberia
Former VP Howard-Taylor—who served as Vice President from 2018 to 2024 under George Weah—was intercepted by security forces on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at Roberts International Airport in Monrovia while attempting to board a flight to Ghana. She was detained and spent the night at the Liberia National Police headquarters before her medical emergency.
The Liberian government has also charged three foreign nationals in absentia for their alleged involvement in the cartel: Nikolai Ivancic (Croatian), Mihovil Vrovac (Croatian), and Tara Zaderieko (Ukrainian)
Former President George Weah and other political allies have publicly criticized the arrest, claiming the charges are politically motivated and unlawful.
Meanwhile, the Boakai’s administration has maintained that no high-profile figures are shielded from prosecution under the law.
