{"id":2250609,"date":"2024-05-22T17:11:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T21:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congo-coup-who-are-the-americans-tied-up-in-failed-putsch\/"},"modified":"2024-05-22T17:13:43","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T21:13:43","slug":"congo-coup-who-are-the-americans-tied-up-in-failed-putsch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congo-coup-who-are-the-americans-tied-up-in-failed-putsch\/","title":{"rendered":"Americans involved in Congo coup: Unveiling the individuals linked to the unsuccessful coup"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcongo-coup-who-are-the-americans-tied-up-in-failed-putsch%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2250609&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The failed coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo involved an unexpected trio, \u2062including a\u2062 Utah \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/high-school-football-player-calls-on-gavin-newsom-to-stop-restricting-sports-give-us-a-chance\/\" title=\"High School Football Player Calls On Gavin Newsom To Stop Restricting Sports: Give Us \u2018A Chance\u2019\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/despite-insistence-by-democrat-politicians-and-medical-elites-empirical-evidence-does-not-conclusively-show-that-masks-reduce-the-spread-of-covid\/\" title=\"Despite Insistence by Democrat Politicians and Medical Elites, Empirical Evidence DOES NOT Conclusively Show that Masks Reduce the Spread of COVID\">high school<\/a> football player<\/a>, a friend, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ketanji-brown-jackson-suggests-no-identifiable-victims-of-drug-kingpin-for-whom-she-cut-prison-sentence\/\" title=\"Ketanji Brown Jackson Suggests 'No Identifiable Victims' of Drug Kingpin for Whom She Cut Prison Sentence\">convicted drug trafficker<\/a>. Christian Malanga, a former Utah car dealer, \u200drecruited individuals, leading to\u200b unexpected consequences. The involvement of these Americans \u2064in the coup has sparked shock and concern \u200dinternationally. The failed\u200d coup in\u200d the Democratic Republic of Congo entangled an \u2062unlikely trio:\u2064 a Utah \u2063high school football player, a friend, and a \u200dconvicted drug trafficker. Recruited by Christian Malanga, a former Utah car dealer, their involvement has stirred shock and concern worldwide.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A Utah high school football player, his friend, and a convicted drug trafficker are an <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/foiled-coup-congo-utah-3fb503aca4037c482c6bc5719d0831e1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"unlikely trio\">unlikely trio<\/a> swept up in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3010559\/salt-lake-city-car-dealer-killed-coup-congo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"unlikely trio\">failed coup<\/a> in the Democratic Republic of <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Congo<\/a>, stuck in the country thanks to a former car dealer.<\/p>\n<p>Christian Malanga, <a href=\"https:\/\/christianmalanga.com\/who-is-president-malanga%3F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"whose website touted\">whose website touted<\/a> his success setting up a car dealership in <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/utah\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Utah<\/a>, is believed to have recruited his son, his son\u2019s friend, and a business associate who moonlighted as a marijuana dealer to help him overthrow the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s government.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Congolese security forces secure the streets after Congolese army officials said it \u201cfoiled a coup\u201d and arrested the perpetrators following a shootout on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Six people were killed during brazen attacks. (AP Photo\/Samy Ntumba Shambuyi, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Malanga died in the attack. He had painted himself on social media as a devoted husband and father of eight who rubbed elbows with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-environmental-appointee-faces-conflict-of-interest-scrutiny-on-hill\/\" title=\"Biden Environmental Appointee Faces Conflict of Interest Scrutiny on Hill\">high-level officials<\/a> in Washington and the Vatican. Despite the high praise of himself, Malanga had a police record.<\/p>\n<p>In 2001, he was convicted in Utah for incidents including assault with a firearm. He was also charged with domestic violence, battery, and disturbing the peace. He pleaded not guilty, and both cases were dismissed. Three years later, he was charged with domestic violence with the threat of using a dangerous weapon.<\/p>\n<p>At some point, he decided to leave the United States and return to Congo\u00a0with the mission of overturning the government.<\/p>\n<p>He allegedly convinced one of his sons, Marcel, a high school football player, to join him in trying to unseat the leader of one of Africa\u2019s largest nations. The other Americans accused of participating in the coup are Tyler Thompson, a Utah resident who told his parents he would be vacationing in South Africa with his friend Marcel\u2019s family, and\u00a0convicted\u00a0marijuana trafficker, Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun.<\/p>\n<p>Lucy Tamlyn, the U.S. ambassador to the DRC, expressed \u201cshock and concern\u201d at the coup attempt in a Sunday statement on X, stating that any Americans involved would be held accountable.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"fr\" dir=\"ltr\">Je suis choqu\u00e9e par les \u00e9v\u00e9nements de ce matin et <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/multiple-americans-arrested-in-african-nation-after-alleged-involvement-in-deadly-coup-attempt-that-left-3-killed\/\" title=\"Several Americans Detained in African Country Following Suspected Role in Fatal Coup, Resulting in 3 Deaths\">tr\u00e8s pr\u00e9occup\u00e9e par les rapports faisant \u00e9tat de citoyens am\u00e9ricains pr\u00e9tendument impliqu\u00e9s<\/a>. Soyez assur\u00e9s que nous coop\u00e9rerons avec les autorit\u00e9s de la RDC dans toute la mesure du possible alors qu\u2019elles enqu\u00eatent sur ces actes\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ambassadeur Lucy Tamlyn (@USAmbDRC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USAmbDRC\/status\/1792160806030774647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 19, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cPlease be assured that we will cooperate with the DRC authorities to the fullest extent as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any U.S. citizen involved in criminal acts,\u201d she said in a translated post.<\/p>\n<p>A State Department spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> on Wednesday that the department was aware of the reports that U.S. citizens \u201cmight have been involved in Sunday\u2019s events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will cooperate with DRC authorities to the fullest extent possible as they investigate these violent acts,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cWhen a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, consular officers seek to aid him or her with all appropriate assistance.\u00a0Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the wheels of justice start to turn in Congo, here\u2019s\u00a0what we know so far about the Americans arrested in the coup attempt.<\/p>\n<h2>Marcel Malanga<\/h2>\n<p>Malanga, 21, grew up in Utah. He was a star varsity football player at Copper Hills High School who posted pictures of himself on Christmas in his pajamas.\u00a0After high school, Malanga went on to play for the Utah Islanders, a team that helps develop high school players into college players.<\/p>\n<p>His mother, Brittney Sawyer, also plastered pictures of him celebrating wins with his football team, lifting weights, and dancing.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent Facebook post she insisted he was \u201can innocent boy following his father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite the G-rated content on her social media pages, her son posted pictures with weapons and cash, and he referred to himself as a \u201cWarbaby.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Instagram, he referred to himself as \u201cWARCEL\u201d and shared photos and videos with him, his father, and guns. <\/p>\n<p>Almost a year ago, he shared a picture of himself with his father on Father\u2019s Day that had the caption \u201chonored to have you have my earthly father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t wait to change the world with you,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Most of his friends and family members said his involvement in the coup came as a complete shock.<\/p>\n<h2>Tyler Thompson<\/h2>\n<p>Thompson was first <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/american-mistakenly-accused-involvement-democratic-republic-congo-coup\/story?id=110421549\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"mistakenly identified \">mistakenly identified <\/a>as Taylor Thompson.<\/p>\n<p>The baseball cap-wearing\u00a021-year-old grew up in West Jordan, Utah, a\u00a0suburb of Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n<p>His stepmother, Miranda Thompson, <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/utah-woman-describes-terror-stepson-detained-beaten-after\/story?id=110463380\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told\">told<\/a> ABC News on Wednesday that Thompson was a happy child who grew up playing football. His big dream was to one day build and flip houses.<\/p>\n<p>He had never been on a plane by himself before leaving on \u201cvacation\u201d with the\u00a0Malanga family.<\/p>\n<p>Miranda Thompson said she experienced \u201ccomplete and utter shock\u201d when she saw images of her stepson being detained and beaten by Congolese soldiers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel real,\u201d she\u00a0added.<\/p>\n<p>Thompson flew to\u00a0Johannesburg in mid-April. He linked up with Marcel and Christian Malanga and traveled with them to Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland. He told his stepmom that the trip was to visit family. He later called home to say his vacation had been interrupted by \u201ca bout of malaria.\u201d It\u2019s unclear if he was the one who had it. He told his family that Christian Malanga had offered to pay for him to stay longer.<\/p>\n<p>Miranda Thompson said she had no idea her stepson had any plans to travel to Congo and that his involvement in Sunday\u2019s coup attempt did not align with the man she had helped raise for more than a decade.<\/p>\n<h2>Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun<\/h2>\n<p>Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, graduated from the University of Colorado and attended business administration classes at Georgetown University.<\/p>\n<p>He eventually started a commodity trading business but also worked as a courier and Uber driver, the <em>Associated Press<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n<p>He and Christian Malanga knew each other through a gold mining company that had been set up in Mozambique in 2022, according to a journal\u00a0published by Mozambique\u2019s government and a report by <em>Africa Intelligence<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Cole Ducey, an American businessman also named as an official in the Mozambique journal, said he met Christian Malanga through a mutual acquaintance. Ducey also met Zalman-Polun, who Malanga met in Washington, the <em>AP<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n<p>He said they never discussed the political instability in Congo or Malanga\u2019 s failed coup. In fact, Ducey said he decided not to go into business with Zalman-Polun or Malanga, who he described as not being \u201cvery intelligent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER \">CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2014, Zalman-Polun pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges. He admitted to shipping at least 20 kilograms of marijuana from a location in Lake Tahoe, California, to customers across the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors asked the court for leniency\u00a0on his behalf because he had provided information in their investigation.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a surprising twist, a Utah high school football player, his friend, and a convicted drug trafficker find themselves entangled in a foiled coup in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Stranded due to a former car dealer&#8217;s influence, Christian Malanga, known for his Utah car dealership success, is at the center of this unexpected story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2250610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24141442814463-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2250609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24141442814463-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2250609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2250609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2250609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2250610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2250609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2250609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2250609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}