Americans linked to Congo coup attempt plead not guilty to US criminal charges

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Four Americans have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in federal court in Utah after authorities said they conspired to stage a violent coup in Congo that failed.

Three of the defendants were charged this month following their return to the United States from Congo, where the death sentences they faced were commuted prior to repatriation. Among them is 22-year-old Marcel Malanga, son of opposition figure Christian Malanga, who led the coup attempt targeting the presidential palace in Kinshasa.

A fourth man in Utah alleged by prosecutors to be an expert in explosives is charged with aiding the plot.

Marcel Malanga, Tyler Thompson Jr., and Benjamin Zalman-Polun were ordered to remain in custody after pleading not guilty during a joint court appearance Thursday.

The alleged explosives expert, Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, appeared separately and was also ordered to remain in custody after entering a not guilty plea. Prosecutors say he provided explosives training and instructions at his Utah home and contributed weapons.

The May 2024 coup attempt aimed to overthrow Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi. At least six people, including Christian Malanga, died when armed men in camouflage fatigues led an attack on the homes of the president and a deputy prime minister.

The four Americans are charged with crimes including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb government facilities and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country. They face lengthy prison sentences if convicted.

The three who traveled to Congo were among 37 people sentenced to death last September by a military court in Congo for their role in the coup attempt.

Lawyers for Moesser and Zalman-Polun declined to comment. Attorneys for Malanga and Thompson could not immediately be reached by phone or email.