Americans Convicted in DRC Coup Attempt Return to U.S.

Pictured from left: Tyler Thompson Jr., Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, Marcel Malanga following their release from a Congolese detention center.

Three U.S. nationals involved in a coup plot in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last May have boarded a flight back home. Confirmation of their transfer came through the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa, shared with NPR, stating the individuals are now under American jurisdiction.

Among the group was 22-year-old Marcel Malanga, alongside his 21-year-old associate Tyler Thompson Jr. from Utah, and 36-year-old Maryland resident Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun. They were part of 37 individuals sentenced to death by a military tribunal in September for participating in a movement against President Felix Tshisekedi's government.

The coup attempt was orchestrated by Christian Malanga, Marcel's father, a Congolese political refugee with residency in the U.S., who was killed during the failed endeavor that gained attention partly due to social media exposure.

Their originally imposed death penalties were altered by a decree from President Tshisekedi, transitioning them to life sentences in light of interventions by Massad Boulos, a top advisor on African affairs for former President Trump. Boulos, notably linked to the Trump family through marriage, was active in the Central African nation last week amidst discussions hinting at a possible trade exchange involving mineral resources and security provisions.