Three Americans who were convicted in Congo for their role in a failed coup attempt have now been formally charged in the United States, following their repatriation this week. A fourth American, allegedly a bomb-making expert, was also charged for aiding the elaborate operation aimed at toppling the Congolese government in 2024. U.S. prosecutors say the men conspired to train, arm, and deploy a rebel force, part of a months-long plot to install a shadow government called “New Zaire” under the leadership of Christian Malanga, a Congolese-American opposition figure killed during the attempted coup.
Among those charged is Malanga’s 22-year-old son, Marcel, who U.S. prosecutors claim led the armed group alongside Utah native Tyler Thompson Jr. and Maryland businessman Benjamin Zalman-Polun. The men reportedly recruited others, tested drones and flamethrowers, and conducted weapons training in Utah before travelling to Congo. The fourth defendant, 67-year-old Joseph Moesser, is accused of providing explosives training and helping to prepare pipe bombs and drones for use in the planned attack. Court documents suggest that Moesser had previously faced allegations involving explosives and had longstanding ties to Christian Malanga.
The criminal complaint describes a carefully orchestrated plot, not a spontaneous act, with the accused allegedly hijacking a bus, raiding a police station for weapons, and preparing for a violent assault on Congolese leadership. At least six people, including Christian Malanga, died during the failed coup attempt in Kinshasa. Prosecutors are now seeking to keep all four men in custody, citing their risk of flight and potential danger to the public. The charges include conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country—offences that could result in life sentences if convicted.