The interim leadership of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), headed by Fitzgerald T Biago, has announced plans to improve the agency with strategic changes designed to create a more robust, accountable, and responsive organization, beginning by addressing integrity and credibility issues.
The interim leadership stated that the first major area of its reform is a mandate for a random drug test for all personnel of the LDEA to ensure that those who are fighting drug crime are not also the ones abusing those same substances. This action, they said, is indicative of their plans to revamp the institution’s human resource capacity and to fully develop a credible, professional, and reliable workforce. “In so doing, we have informed all officers of the LDEA to fully cooperate, as a non-compliant attitude will not be tolerated at the Agency,” the interim leadership observed at their first appearance at the Ministry of Information press briefing on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
They disclosed that, as part of desire to engage all stakeholders, they have begun dialogues and collaboration with some governmental, private and civil society organizations with a focus on prevention and other areas with specific needs. They added that a strategic structure and policy review committee has been constituted at the agency to review internal structure and policies with a focus on training and manpower, develop other policies, and solicit a legal framework on the recent publication by the Ministry of Health on Shisha and Tramadol Restrictions, as well as review of the LDEA five-year strategic plan.
“In the last few days, we have developed a strategic 90-day operational plan aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks, demolition of ghettos and the suppression of substance abuse within our borders.
“To achieve this, we are encouraging the media and all other stakeholders, including the LNP, LIS, Fire Service, Customs and all national security apparatus and institutions, to join efforts with the LDEA in securing the future of our children now and the unborn.
“Let it be known that the up-coming operation of the LDEA will know no foe or friend. We will drastically deal with any individual or group of individuals that will want to undermine this fight in line with the laws of Liberia,” the LDEA interim leadership emphasized.