When the footage first hit social media, it looked like a low-budget action movie. A group of men in camouflage, clutching assault rifles, were shouting slogans inside the Palais de la Nation in Kinshasa. At the center of it was Christian Malanga, a self-styled "President in Exile." But standing next to him was a face that didn’t quite fit the scene of a Central African coup: his 21-year-old son, Marcel.
People have been asking, is Marcel Malanga still alive, especially after the brutal fallout of that May 2024 morning. The short answer is yes. But the long answer? It’s a mess of international law, a death sentence, and a sudden midnight flight across the Atlantic.
Honestly, it’s a miracle he’s breathing. After the failed coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Marcel’s father was killed in a shootout with the Republican Guard. Marcel and two other Americans, Tyler Thompson and Benjamin Zalman-Polun, were hauled off to the Ndolo military prison. For months, their fate hung by a very thin, very political thread.
From Death Row to a Brooklyn Courtroom
If you followed the televised court-martial in Kinshasa, things looked grim. Like, really grim. In September 2024, a military judge sentenced Marcel Malanga to death. He sat there in a blue and yellow prison uniform, clutching a Bible, while the verdict was read out in a language he barely understood.
The Congolese government doesn't mess around with "attempts on the state." They had just lifted a 20-year moratorium on the death penalty, and it seemed like Marcel was going to be one of the first people to face a firing squad.
Then, things took a turn.
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In early April 2025, President Félix Tshisekedi did something nobody really saw coming. He commuted the death sentences of the three Americans to life imprisonment. Why? Well, rumors in Kinshasa suggest it was part of a larger diplomatic play involving mineral rights and security support from the U.S. Basically, Marcel became a very high-stakes bargaining chip.
On April 9, 2025, Marcel Malanga was quietly moved out of his cell and flown back to the United States. He's alive, but he's definitely not "free."
What Most People Get Wrong About Marcel Malanga
You’ve probably seen the headlines calling him a mercenary. Or maybe you've heard he was just a confused kid on vacation. The truth is somewhere in that murky middle ground where family loyalty turns toxic.
Marcel’s mother, Brittney Sawyer, has been vocal about her son being "coerced." During the trial, Marcel himself told the judge that his father, Christian, had threatened to kill him if he didn't follow orders. It’s a wild claim, but when you look at Christian Malanga’s history—a man who declared himself the leader of "New Zaire"—it starts to sound more plausible.
- The "Security Job" Story: Marcel had reportedly been recruiting friends from his high school football team in Utah, offering them up to $100,000 for a "security job."
- The Reality: They ended up in the middle of a literal war zone, livestreaming a coup attempt that was doomed from the start.
- The Training: Evidence surfaced of the group testing drones and firing rifles at a range near Salt Lake City before they left for Africa.
It's hard to ignore that Marcel was identified in court documents as the "Chief of Staff of the Zaire army." That’s a heavy title for a 21-year-old from West Jordan.
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Life After the Congo: Current Legal Status
So, if you’re wondering where he is right now, he isn't back home in Utah playing video games. As soon as his feet touched American soil in 2025, the Department of Justice was waiting for him.
He is currently facing federal charges in the U.S. District Court. The indictment is a laundry list of serious crimes:
- Conspiring to provide material support to a rebel army.
- Conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.
- Conspiracy to kill or kidnap in a foreign country.
Basically, the U.S. government is treating this like a domestic terrorism case that went international. While he escaped the firing squad in Kinshasa, he is now looking at the possibility of spending the rest of his life in a federal prison.
The Tyler Thompson Connection
It's worth mentioning Tyler Thompson here because their fates are mirrored. Tyler was Marcel’s high school teammate. His family insisted he thought they were going on a free vacation to South Africa and Eswatini. But the FBI's investigation found messages about shopping for flamethrower attachments for drones.
It's a tragic reminder of how quickly a "vacation" can turn into a life sentence when you don't ask enough questions about who's paying for the tickets.
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Is Marcel Malanga Still Alive? Summary of Facts
To keep things clear, here is the current state of play as of early 2026:
Status: Alive.
Location: U.S. Federal Custody.
Congo Sentence: Life imprisonment (Commuted from Death).
U.S. Charges: Multiple felonies including conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
The situation is still developing as the U.S. trial moves forward. His lawyers are likely leaning hard into the "duress" defense—the idea that his father was a cult-like figure who forced his hand. Whether a jury in Salt Lake City or Brooklyn buys that remains to be seen.
Actionable Insights for Following the Case
If you're tracking this story, keep an eye on the U.S. Department of Justice press releases for the District of Utah or the Eastern District of New York. These are the most reliable sources for updates on his trial dates and potential plea deals.
Also, it's worth following African news outlets like Actualite.cd or Radio Okapi for the Congolese perspective. The political climate in the DRC is shifting, and any change in President Tshisekedi’s administration could reignite calls for the Americans to be returned to Kinshasa to serve their time, though that’s technically unlikely now that they’ve been repatriated.
Be wary of social media accounts claiming to be Marcel or his father. There has been a lot of "New Zaire" propaganda floating around since the 2024 incident, much of it fabricated or based on old videos Christian Malanga recorded before his death.
The best thing you can do is look for primary court documents. They offer a much more detailed—and chilling—look at the evidence than a thirty-second news clip ever will.