The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) in March 2025 launched Operation True Guardian in the nation’s west to “restore public trust, bolster national security, and ensure the safety and stability of Liberia’s borders and coastal areas,” the AFL announced.
The operation began with patrols in the Western Region, which includes Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Gbarpolu counties. Patrols will continue indefinitely and establish forward operating bases in each county. Security forces will focus on hot spots for crime and other security threats.
“This operation comes at a crucial time when Liberia is facing complex security threats, particularly in the western region where transnational crimes are on the rise,” El-Dorado Nyanti Jebbe, the AFL’s deputy chief of public affairs, said at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia, according to The Liberian Investigator.
“The absence of a consistent security presence has created a vacuum that criminal networks are exploiting. We intend to change that narrative.”
Local law enforcement and intelligence sources say they have seen surges in cross-border arms, drugs and human trafficking. Liberia also has had an uptick in maritime crimes such as illegal fishing and piracy.
Military forces will patrol to strengthen border security, enhance maritime surveillance and deter crime by engaging with local communities and their law enforcement agencies.
Similar patrols will be conducted quarterly in other Liberian counties, the AFL announced.