Days after Alternative National Congress (ANC) political leader, Alexander Cummings called on the Liberian government to expand its investigation into the US$19 million cocaine case by inviting international investigations, Jefferson T. Koijee, Secretary General of the Congress for Democratic Change and former Mayor of Monrovia, has joined the growing volley of public.
Just as many others before him, Koijee formally requested that the U.S. Embassy support an “independent international investigation” into Liberia’s US$19 million cocaine trafficking case, alleging political interference, institutional capture, and cartel influence at the highest levels of Liberia’s security sector.
In a letter dated July 15, 2026 addressed to U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Joseph Zadrozny, Koijee said the case “represents far more than an isolated criminal incident” and has become “a test of Liberia’s willingness and capacity to investigate powerful actors without political interference.”
The Embassy is yet to publicly respond to Koijee’s letter.
He made far-reaching allegations against some officials of government who are part of the investigation of playing double-standard roles, making reference to the appointment of police officers to head the LDEA.
“All of this, in my view, was done to secure absolute control over the cartel’s operations,” Koijee wrote. He described the placement of senior LNP officers at LDEA as having “blurred the Agency’s institutional independence and concentrated undue influence over Liberia’s security architecture.”
The CDC Secretary General also raised concerns about vehicles allegedly given to security and government officials.
He claimed that Toyota Hilux vehicles were distributed to LDEA and LNP “without being registered or coded through the General Services Agency (GSA), as required.” Koijee linked their provenance to “the junta regime in Guinea” and asked that their management be reviewed.
Koijee framed the request through a national security lens. Citing his background in “counter-terrorism, intelligence, and homeland security,” he argued that transnational trafficking networks are “exploit institutional weaknesses to entrench themselves within the machinery of the state.”
“Part of my concern in raising this matter is that the United States has long been Liberia’s traditional partner, continuing to invest American taxpayers’ money in strengthening our democratic governance, peace, and stability,” he stated. “If this matter is not urgently and properly addressed and resolved, the United States’ presence and our peace could be threatened by a growing wave of cocaine trafficking syndicates whose reach extends well beyond Liberia’s borders.”
He said public confidence in domestic processes is low due to “the dangerous pattern of impunity within Liberia’s criminal justice system” and called for an investigation “demonstrably independent, professionally conducted, and free from political influence.”
Koijee said LNP public briefings “have failed to address the central questions surrounding the origin and ownership of the reported shipment of cocaine into Liberia” and that the process “appears to be marked by political deception.”
He also accused the Police IG of undermining LDEA independence, noting that Biago was “an active employee of the Liberia National Police” at the time of appointment.
The US$19 million cocaine seizure at Roberts International Airport in 2024 remains one of Liberia’s largest drug busts. It has been the subject of multiple LNP press briefings, court proceedings, and public debate over how high the network reaches.
The Boakai administration has pledged to fight drugs and corruption. LDEA and LNP leadership changes over the last 18 months have also been politically contentious.
The Liberia National Police, LDEA, and the Executive Mansion had not issued a public response to Koijee’s specific allegations.
Koijee’s letter escalates the political stakes around the cocaine case, shifting the debate from the seizure itself to questions of institutional control and international oversight.
He said “The Liberian people deserve institutions that are transparent, accountable, and capable of confronting organized crime without political interference. Ensuring justice in this matter will not only strengthen Liberia’s democracy but will also reinforce regional efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking throughout West Africa.”
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