Repatriated Utahns face U.S. criminal charges relating to failed Congo coup
Three men, including two Utahns, repatriated to the United States on Tuesday and another man face federal criminal charges in connection with their participation in a failed coup in Congo last year.
A criminal complaint was unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City charging Marcel Malanga, 22, Tyler Thompson, 22, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, and Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, all U.S. citizens, with conspiring to provide material support and resources, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country, among other offenses.
Malanga, Thompson and Zalman-Polun are expected to make their initial appearances at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Moesser is expected to make an initial appearance Thursday at the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah.
After their initial appearances in New York, Malanga, Thompson and Zalman-Polun are expected to appear in Salt Lake City for further legal proceedings. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison on each count.
The indictment alleges the men conspired to carry out a coup on May 19, 2024, in Congo, including an armed military operation that targeted Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Vital Kamerhe.
Men wearing camouflage fatigues and armed with weapons attacked and entered the Palais de la Nation and Kamerhe's private residence, which was riddled with bullet holes after the attack, according to the complaint.
At least six people died during the attack, including two police officers protecting Kamerhe's residence, and at least one civilian.
Christian Malanga, a former Utah car salesman with eight children and a businessman and politician from Congo, led the foiled coup attempt. Malanga livestreamed video from the presidential palace during the coup attempt and was killed while resisting arrest, according to Congolese authorities.
'It was the goal of the rebel forces to topple the DRC and to murder President Félix Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, and others, with the goal of installing Christian as the new president of the DRC. They intended on renaming the DRC to New Zaire,' according to the indictment.
Federal authorities allege Malanga's son identified himself as 'Chief of Staff of the Zaire army' and acted as a leader of the rebel forces. Zalman-Polun was Christian Malanga's chief of staff, Moesser was the explosives maker, explosives technician, and explosives supplier and Thompson was a soldier and drone specialist/operator, according to the complaint.
Christian Malanga moved from Congo to the U.S. as part of a refugee resettlement program in the late 1990s and attended Highland High School in Salt Lake City, according to his Facebook page. He returned to his native country to serve as an officer fighting rebels. Forced into exile in 2012 following an initial coup attempt, he referred to himself as president of the 'New Zaire' government.
Malanga claimed he was the president of the United Congolese Party, which describes itself as an 'opposition political party-in-exile.' He appeared in a 2014 Deseret News story about an Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Marcel Malanga and Thompson played football together at Copper Hills High School in West Jordan, Utah. Thompson flew to Africa from Utah for what his family believed was a free vacation, the AP reported.
The two men, along with Zalman-Polun, faced the death penalty in Congo for participating in the foiled coup but Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama posted Tuesday on X that they were pardoned and their sentences commuted to life in prison. They returned to the U.S. on Tuesday.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday that the men are in U.S. custody. She said the U.S. government strongly condemns last year's attack and supports Congolese authorities in holding those responsible appropriately accountable.
'At the same time, we seek consistent, compassionate, humane treatment and a fair legal process on behalf of those U.S. citizens,' she said.
According to the charges, the four men planned, scouted out targets and identified victims for the attack, including high-level Congolese government officials. They recruited others to join the rebel army and, in some cases, paid them. They also procured firearms, ammunition, uniforms, communication equipment and communication-jamming equipment from businesses and private parties, the complaint says.
The pardon and repatriation of the three men came as Congolese authorities aim to sign a minerals deal with the U.S. in exchange for security support that will help Kinshasa fight rebels in the country's conflict-hit east, per The Associated Press.
President Donald Trump's senior adviser for Africa last week confirmed the countries were in talks on the issue and said it could involve 'multibillion-dollar investments,' AP reported. The U.S. has estimated Congo has trillions of dollars in mineral wealth, much of it untapped.
'This decision is part of a dynamic of strengthening judicial diplomacy and international cooperation in matters of justice and human rights between the two countries,' according to a statement from Congo's presidency.
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