Four Americans accused of Congo coup attempt now facing federal charges in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The three Americans accused of participating in a failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo — and another man recently arrested in Utah — will now face federal charges in the United States after being repatriated on Tuesday.

The four Americans, three of which are from Utah, are facing several federal charges, including 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, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. If convicted, they would face life in prison.

The federal charges come one day after Congo agreed to return the three Americans to U.S. soil to serve their sentences in their own country. The prisoners left the African nation on Tuesday, April 8.

The two 22-year-old Utahns involved in the failed coup — Tyler Thompson and Marcel Malanga — had traveled to Congo for what Thompson’s family thought was an all-expenses-paid vacation in May 2024, according to the Associated Press.

Malanga and Thompson, as well as 37-year-old Benjamin Zalman-Polun, were previously sentenced to death in Congo after the failed coup. The government later commuted their sentences to life imprisonment before sending them back to the U.S. following a minerals and security deal between the two nations.

Malanga, Thompson and Polun will make their initial appearances in a New York federal court on Thursday. They will then join Joseph Peter Moesser, 67 — a third Utahn recently arrested in the state, accused of making bombs for the rebel group — in Salt Lake City for the rest of the legal proceeding.

What the Americans are facing

The DOJ said the four Americans are facing charges for their alleged role in an armed coup attack “specifically targeting DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Vital Kamerhe.”

It said they conspired to attack the official residence of the president and the prime minister’s private residence in order to overthrow the government and establish a new one under the now-deceased Christian Malanga, father of Marcel Malanga.

“Men wearing camouflage fatigues and armed with weapons attacked and entered the Palais de la Nation. Armed men also attacked Kamerhe’s residence, which was riddled with bullet holes after the attack,” the DOJ press release reads.

At least six people were killed in the attack, including two police officers and one civilian. The DOJ said it was the rebel group’s goal to kill the president and prime minister and establish a new government known as the New Zaire.

While Marcel Malanga has claimed he was forced to be a part of the armed attacks by his father, the DOJ claims he “held himself out as a leader” and identified as the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army.”

The DOJ identified Thompson as a soldier and drone specialist and Moesser as the explosives maker and supplier.

“The defendants conspired to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction during the Armed Coup Attack. The coconspirators planned to use bombs that could be deployed to their targets by drone(s). Targets included people, private residences, and public buildings. They also intended to attach a flamethrower device to a drone and use it as an incendiary device to light people on fire,” the complaint alleges.

Malanga and Thompson are facing additional charges for allegedly bringing a firearm from the U.S. to Congo for the purpose of engaging in a felony.

Attorney Skye Lazaro has represented Thompson throughout the process. She told ABC4 that their next step is to evaluate his physical and mental health after he was imprisoned in Congo for nearly a year.

“We have a lot in front of us as it relates to what’s going to happen next, but at least he’s back here in the United States, and we have the ability to go forward on our home turf,” Lazaro said on Tuesday.

Clayton Simms, a Utah criminal defense attorney, told ABC4 that Malanga and Thompson testified in their trial in Congo that they were threatened with death if they did not participate in the attempted coup.

Simms said that could be a factor in the government’s decision of what to do with the prisoners. Now, it appears this will be a discussion for trial.

Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson, told ABC4 Tuesday that they “strongly condemn the armed attacks of May 19 and support the DRC 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.

The Associated Press and Renisha Mall contributed to this story.

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