Congo repatriates 2 Utah men, 1 other facing life in jail over a failed coup plot, official says

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The three Americans convicted on charges of participating in a botched coup attempt in Congo last year have been repatriated to the United States days after the country commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment, an official said Tuesday.

The three will serve their sentences in the U.S. following the repatriation done in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, Congolese presidential spokesperson Tina Salama said on X.

Among them is 21-year-old Marcel Malanga, son of opposition figure Christian Malanga, who led the foiled coup attempt that targeted the presidential palace in Kinshasa.

Also repatriated are Tyler Thompson Jr., 21, a friend of the younger Malanga who flew to Africa from Utah for what his family believed was a free vacation, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, who is reported to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company.

In a statement, Utah Rep. Burgess Owens said the Utahns’ families remain “close to our hearts.”

My team and I have worked in close coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Congo and the State Department to secure a resolution that brings these Utahns back to American soil. Their families remain close to our hearts after navigating immense uncertainty over the past year. We will continue to support the administration’s efforts to bring these Americans home and applaud President Trump for his fearless advocacy on behalf of all Americans detained abroad.”