Monrovia — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has dismissed three top officials of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and appointed an interim management team made up of security professionals to strengthen the country's response to its worsening drug crisis.
Those removed include Anthony K. Souh, Director General; Gwee K. Porkpah, Deputy Director General for Administration; and Sebastian Farr, Deputy Director General for Operations.
According to a statement from the Executive Mansion issued Thursday, August 28, the dismissals are part of ongoing efforts to revamp the LDEA and restore public confidence in its operations, amid a surge in illicit drug trafficking and abuse--particularly the spread of synthetic substances such as kush.
To fill the leadership vacuum, President Boakai appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitzgerald T. M. Biago as Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Ernest T. Tarpeh, Assistant Director for Special Services at the National Security Agency (NSA), as Deputy for Administration and Investigation and Assistant Commissioner of Police Patrick B. Kormazu of the as Deputy for Operations.
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The appointments have been widely welcomed, with citizens and civil society groups expressing optimism that the team's discipline, integrity, and law enforcement experience will bring renewed energy to the LDEA.
DCP Biago and ACP Kormazu are nationally recognized for their operational leadership in combating organized crime and narcotics trafficking within the LNP. Meanwhile, Mr. Tarpeh has earned a reputation at the NSA for his strategic oversight and investigative expertise in high-profile security cases.
Security experts say President Boakai's decision to appoint law enforcement professionals with proven track records sends a clear signal of his administration's commitment to tackling Liberia's drug epidemic, which has become both a public health and national security crisis, particularly among young people.
Across Liberia, communities are reporting a rise in synthetic drug use and addiction. Religious leaders, civil society actors, and health workers have consistently called on the government to declare a national emergency and adopt aggressive reform measures. The President's latest decision is seen as a direct response to those appeals.
Sources at the Executive Mansion say the interim leadership has been tasked with restoring operational credibility at the LDEA, strengthening collaboration with other security institutions, and laying the foundation for a permanent reform-driven administration.
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President Boakai, who campaigned on a pledge to eradicate drug trafficking and addiction, has faced criticism over integrity lapses at the agency. Recently, the LDEA suspended its Chief of Operations, Maj. Abraham O. Payne (U-704), following the leak of an audio recording in which he allegedly ordered the release of his daughter, arrested in a ghetto for drug-related activities. The recording, which quickly went viral, captured Maj. Payne angrily demanding her release, claiming she had been assaulted by officers.
This is not the first time the President has had to overhaul the agency's leadership. In 2024, Boakai dismissed another set of top officials--Abraham Kromah (Director General), Gbawo Kowo (Deputy Director for Administration) and Al Hassan Fadiga (Deputy Director for Operations) --following internal disputes that crippled the LDEA's operations.
With the new appointments, many Liberians see a potential turning point in the fight to reclaim the country's streets from the grip of drugs.
