Three Americans, Marcel Malanga, 22, Tyler Thompson, 22, and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, have been transferred to the US and face charges related to an alleged coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The US Justice Department announced the charges on Wednesday. These three individuals had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment by DRC President Felix Tshisekedi before repatriation.
They are accused of conspiring to bomb government facilities and to kill or kidnap individuals in a foreign country, among other offenses.
Their initial court appearance is scheduled in New York. If convicted, they could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
A fourth American, Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, an explosives expert, faces identical charges. He is expected to appear before a judge in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday.
The Justice Department alleges that the four men conspired to unlawfully execute a coup d’état in the DRC on May 19 of the previous year.
The group allegedly plotted to provide material support, including weapons and explosives, to a rebel army intending to overthrow the DRC government.
Authorities stated that the co-conspirators planned to transport these resources from the United States to the DRC to facilitate the armed coup attempt.
In total, 37 individuals were sentenced to death in the DRC for their involvement in the purported coup, including foreign nationals with Congolese citizenship.
During the incident, armed men attacked the residence of the economy minister and a building housing President Tshisekedi’s offices.