Cummings Calls for 'Independent International Probe' in Liberia's US$19.2M Cocaine Case

Monrovia, Liberia: Calls for accountability into the US$19.2 million cocaine bust at the Roberts International Airport International Airport (RIA) continues to heighten by the day, as a major opposition figure, Alexander Cummings, urges for an international investigative body to take charge of the ongoing probe to fast-trick prosecutions in the multi-million dollar drug case.

Cummings, Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), said the Liberian government has shown lack of political will to prosecute those connected to the drug trafficking.

According to him, many questions still exist over how the drug entered Liberia, who masterminded its entry, and from where it was shipped, if the joint security team claimed it was not manufactured in the country.

He further that the investigation by the government through the joint security team has been at a slow-place, and said it appears secretive. ANC flag-bearer wondered how only one suspect has been apprehended among approximately five named in connection to the case.

Addressing a major news conference on Friday, July 13, 2026, in Monrovia, Cummings expressed distrust in the ongoing investigation, and said it requires a technical international assistance to ensure that alleged offenders face justice.

He announced plans to seek support from the international community including the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and the Mano River Union (MRU) to investigate and audit the government's handling of the case.

"Therefore, we call for international assistance to investigate and audit the process surrounding the June 8, 2026, $19.2 million drug seizure. I am leading this charge because it is now clear that our government lacks the political will, institutional capacity, and technical competence to conduct a truly independent, professional, transparent investigation and to uncompromisingly enforce the rule of law".

"This government has acted in more ways to doubt their impartiality than they have to inspire confidence that they can give the Liberian people justice in this matter. In short, the public has lost confidence in the UP-Led government's ability to give the Liberian people justice and stop cartels from trafficking drugs in and through our country".

"We urge the Mano River Union and ECOWAS to invoke early warning mechanisms to ensure that all culprits are apprehended and brought to justice without compromise", Alexander Cummings asserted.

Further speaking, the ANC Political Leader cautioned the government to see illicit drug trafficking as a serious threat to the country's national security, economy, and young generation.

Cummings questioned the release of Michael Brown, who was jailed in 2024 linked to a drug trafficking case. He said the crime as a non-bailable offense, was not treated as per its nature.

According to him, the situation raises eyebrow about collusion between state security personnel and alleged perpetrators. He noted that if care is not taken, Liberia could be seen as a transit point of narcotic substances.

"Even more alarming is the revelation before the Liberian Senate that Michael Brown, otherwise known as "US Marshall"-a central figure in this case, previously jailed for drug trafficking, a non-bailable offense-has mysteriously slipped out of prison and vanished without a trace".

"The government claims five suspects have been charged, yet admits it does not know the whereabouts of nearly all of them. The only suspect presented to court weeks after it was clear the drugs were at his home and his workplace, is the one who voluntarily surrendered".

"Fellow Liberians: Let us remind this Government that drug trafficking is not just a crime—it is a direct threat to our national security, the integrity of our institutions, and the future of our children".

Cummings' advocacy for accountability comes at a time when citizens are pressuring the government to act and ensure that individuals involved with the drug bust are prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the joint security team including the Liberia National Police, the Liberia Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency and the Ministry of Justice, has charged six persons in connection to the case.

The US$19.2 million drug bust at the Roberts International Airport stands as one of the largest illicit drug discoveries in Liberia in recent years.