Three Americans who were repatriated from the Democratic Republic of Congo this week have been charged in the United States for their alleged roles in a failed coup attempt against the Congolese government last year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.
A fourth individual, identified by prosecutors as an explosives expert, has also been charged with aiding the plot.
The charges stem from the same events that saw the three men detained in Congo, where they were initially sentenced to death before their punishments were reduced to life imprisonment. They were transferred to U.S. custody on Tuesday. Their return coincides with negotiations between Congolese authorities and the U.S. over a potential minerals deal linked to security support.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed on Wednesday following a lengthy FBI investigation, the defendants are accused of conspiring to supply weapons, explosives, and other resources to a rebel group formed to overthrow the Congolese government.
Among those charged is 22-year-old Marcel Malanga, son of opposition leader Christian Malanga, who led the attempted coup targeting the presidential palace in Kinshasa. During the operation, Christian Malanga livestreamed from the palace before being killed while resisting arrest, according to Congolese officials.
Prosecutors allege the group intended to establish a new government, called New Zaire, with Christian Malanga as its president. Court documents describe Marcel Malanga as the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army” and a key leader in the coup effort.
Christian Malanga, originally from Kinshasa, moved to the U.S. in the 1990s and had a background in used car sales and gold mining. He had a previous criminal record, including a 2001 conviction for assault with a firearm in Utah.
Marcel Malanga, along with Tyler Thompson Jr., 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, were flown back to the U.S. and are expected to make their first court appearance in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the alleged explosives expert, 67-year-old Joseph Peter Moesser, is scheduled to appear in court in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Prosecutors claim Moesser provided weapons and explosives training from his home in Utah.
Thompson’s attorney, Skye Lazaro, said Wednesday she had no comment at this time. No legal representation has yet been listed for the other three defendants.
The men face charges including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country. If convicted, they could face lengthy prison sentences. Further charges may be filed if a grand jury indicts them.