**”From Failed Coup to International Legal Battle”**
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Three Americans who were repatriated to the United States from Congo this week have been formally charged by the U.S. Justice Department for orchestrating an elaborate coup attempt with the aim of overthrowing the government of the African nation. Additionally, a fourth man, alleged to be a bomb-making expert, has also been charged for his involvement in the plot.
The charges stem from accusations that led to the three defendants being detained in Congo and initially receiving death sentences, which were later commuted to life imprisonment. Following an extensive FBI investigation, the Justice Department has accused the men of providing training, weapons, and other support to a rebel army that was formed to overthrow the government last year.
One of the accused individuals is 22-year-old Marcel Malanga, the son of opposition figure Christian Malanga, who spearheaded the coup attempt targeting the presidential palace in Kinshasa. Christian Malanga, who led the attempt and was livestreaming from the palace, was killed while resisting arrest, according to Congolese authorities.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants aimed to establish a new government called New Zaire and install Christian Malanga as its president. Marcel Malanga claimed to be the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army” and played a leadership role in the rebel forces, according to court documents.
Christian Malanga, originally from Kinshasa, Congo, had described himself on his website as a refugee who settled in the U.S. in the 1990s. Prior to his involvement in the coup, he had been convicted of assault with a firearm in Utah in 2001 and had charges dismissed in several other criminal cases. He convinced his son, Marcel Malanga, born in Utah, to participate in the failed coup.
The defendants Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, have been returned to the U.S. and are expected to appear in court in Brooklyn. The alleged explosives expert, Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, is set to appear in court in Salt Lake City.
The men face charges including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb government facilities, and conspiracy to harm individuals in a foreign country. These charges, if proven, could result in lengthy prison sentences. The charges may evolve after the defendants are indicted by a grand jury.
According to the Justice Department, the coup attempt was the result of a meticulously planned plot that unfolded in May 2024 to overthrow Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi. The prosecution is seeking to keep all four defendants in custody as the case progresses, citing them as an extreme danger to the community and a significant flight risk.
A man was charged with attempting to smuggle explosive black powder onto a plane leaving the Salt Lake City airport. He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and received probation as his sentence. The charging document revealed that the alleged plot had been carefully planned over months, involving recruitment of friends, acquisition of weapons and drones, and extensive firearms training. The accused claimed that his actions were driven by his father’s threats to kill him if he did not comply. He reportedly recruited a friend by offering a substantial sum of money for a mysterious “security job” in Congo. Prosecutors identified some of the defendants as a drone specialist and a bomb-making expert, with one individual planning to use a flamethrower attachment to harm others. Witnesses observed the accused engaging in drone tests and firearms training before traveling to Africa. Messages indicated plans to ship explosives and weapons to Congo. Another defendant allegedly assisted in recruiting soldiers for a rebel army, with aspirations of holding a leadership position if the plot succeeded. The complaint also cited social media posts and videos as evidence of the defendants’ involvement in the scheme.
