Utah man declined $100K offer to travel to Congo on ‘security job’ that was covert coup attempt

Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The friend of a salient Congolese guidance leader’s boy said he turned down a six-figure connection to recreation location from nan U.S. arsenic portion of nan family’s information item successful what turned retired to beryllium a grounded coup attempt.

Marcel Malanga, nan 21-year-old boy of eccentric coup leader Christian Malanga, was detained by Congolese forces Sunday morning, on pinch a erstwhile classmate from their hometown of West Jordan, Utah, aft his begetter was killed successful a shootout while resisting arrest. His precocious schoolhouse shot teammate, Tyler Thompson, 21, was 1 of 2 different Americans arrested aft an ill-fated onslaught connected nan statesmanlike palace successful Kinshasa.

Six group were dormant and dozens arrested, including nan 3 Americans, pursuing that onslaught and different connected nan residence of a adjacent state of President Felix Tshisekedi, nan Congolese service spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Sylvain Ekenge, said.

Daniel Gonzalez, a erstwhile teammate of nan 2 Utah residents caught up successful nan foiled coup, told The Associated Press that Marcel had offered him $50,000 to $100,000 to walk 4 months successful Congo arsenic a information defender for his leader father. The 22-year-old FedEx worker powerfully considered it, but said it lacked actual details. He yet declined truthful he could walk nan summertime pinch his girlfriend.

“I consciousness really sad for Tyler and Marcel but, astatine nan extremity of nan day, I tin conscionable beryllium grateful that I didn’t spell because I would beryllium stuck successful nan aforesaid scary situation,” Gonzalez said.

Marcel’s lucrative connection to Gonzalez sheds ray connected really he mightiness person enticed Thompson to travel on connected what his stepmother, Miranda, said was expected to beryllium a vacation.

It was 1 of galore propositions nan coup leader’s American boy made to erstwhile shot teammates successful what galore described arsenic a hopeless effort to bring personification pinch him to Congo. He sounded nan travel to immoderate arsenic a family picnic and still to others arsenic a work travel to build wells successful drought-stricken communities.

Although it’s unclear whether Thompson was offered money, aggregate teammates told nan AP that he had alluded to specified incentives, telling 1 friend that nan travel could beryllium a “big financial opportunity.”

Thompson’s family insists he’s a governmental pawn who was dragged into an world conflict nether mendacious pretenses. They’ve had nary nonstop connection pinch their boy since nan coup and are worried for his safety, his stepmother said.

Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, said her boy is guiltless and had followed his father.

Christian Malanga, nan slain leader of nan Congolese guidance governmental party, considered himself president of a protector authorities successful exile, which he called nan “New Zaire.” He described himself connected his website arsenic a exile who settled successful Salt Lake City pinch his family successful nan 1990s, pursuing business opportunities successful golden mining and utilized car income earlier yet moving backmost to Congo to conflict for governmental reforms.

While campaigning for nan Congolese Parliament, he claimed he was jailed and endured torturous beatings. He later published a manifesto detailing plans to betterment Congo’s information services and described his activity arsenic an effort to shape chap emigres against nan “current Congolese dictatorship authorities regime.”

“Marcel was beautiful secretive astir his dad. He didn’t moreover cognize him good until he spent past summertime successful Africa,” Gonzalez said. “There’s nary measurement Marcel had immoderate thought what he’d beryllium getting america into aliases he ne'er would’ve offered. He’s 1 of nan champion friends a personification could have.”

In nan early hours Sunday, Christian Malanga began livestreaming video connected societal media from wrong nan palace. He is seen pinch his equipped son, who hastily pulls a cervix gaiter complete his face, looking astir wide-eyed. Congo officials person not commented connected really nan attackers were capable to get inside.

Gonzalez, of Herriman, Utah, said he had communicated pinch Marcel astir nan financial connection complete Snapchat, successful messages that person since disappeared, successful nan months starring up to nan coup attempt. He was shocked to study really nan travel played out.

Marcel had told Gonzalez that his begetter was letting him prosecute a friend truthful he would person institution during his summertime abroad. He seemed excited to beryllium capable to connection specified a important magnitude of money to a adjacent friend who needed it, Gonzalez explained.

The Malangas had promised on-the-job training, afloat sum of recreation expenses and nan chance to research a caller portion of nan world while making an income, he said. Marcel insisted many times that it was safe, but didn’t stock specifications astir his father’s background.

Neither Gonzalez nor his mother thought nan travel would beryllium unsafe, he said, contempt nan U.S. State Department powerfully discouraging recreation to Congo — but he turned it down erstwhile his woman asked him not to time off for 4 months.

He later saw backstage Snapchat videos filmed by Marcel that showed Thompson looking frightened arsenic equipped Congolese soldiers surrounded their vehicle. In Gonzalez’s last Snapchat speech pinch his friend earlier their capture, he asked whether Thompson was OK and urged them to enactment safe.
Marcel assured him that they were.

Other erstwhile shot teammates, including Luke Barbee and Jaden Lalor, had heard different pitches astir nan travel and wondered why Marcel seemed truthful hopeless to bring personification along. Neither could fathom their friends’ imaginable engagement successful a convulsive attack.

“I see Marcel a relative to maine and Tyler a friend, and I genuinely judge Marcel’s begetter must person pressured them for his ain wants,” Lalor said. “I conscionable want them backmost safely.”