LDEA hosts U.S. DEA delegation to boost drug enforcement cooperation

Published: June 20, 2025

MONROVIA – The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) on Wednesday welcomed a three-member delegation from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), marking a renewed effort to strengthen cross-border collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking.

The U.S. team, led by Acting Attaché Christiana A. Olagbiaye, Country Director and Investigator for the DEA’s Diversion Division, visited the LDEA headquarters in Fiamah, Sinkor, for a first-hand look at the agency’s operations and ongoing challenges. The visit also served to identify potential areas for expanded cooperation.

LDEA Director General Anthony Souh, along with Director for Administration Gwee Porkpah and senior officer Sabastine Farr, received the delegation and conducted a tour of the agency’s facilities. Stops included the crime laboratory, prevention and rehabilitation units, and the holding cells.

During the visit, LDEA officials highlighted the agency’s enforcement structure, operational protocols, and current efforts to combat narcotics trafficking. Crime lab technicians showcased a variety of drug samples, field testing kits, and other tools used in substance identification and analysis.

Many of the materials on display were provided by international partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which had a representative present for the occasion.

Director General Souh praised the visit as a positive step toward institutional capacity-building. “We are honored by your visit and eager to deepen our partnership with the U.S. DEA,” he said. “At this critical stage of our institutional growth, international partnerships are essential in helping us build capacity, strengthen enforcement, and disrupt the drug trade.”

The visit comes as Liberia and other West African nations face heightened concerns over transnational drug trafficking networks using the region as a transit corridor. Both the LDEA and U.S. DEA expressed optimism that the engagement will lead to future joint operations, training programs, and increased resource sharing.

The collaboration is part of broader regional efforts to curb illicit drug activity and reinforce legal and institutional frameworks across West Africa.