A former Gambian soldier, Michael Sang Correa, has been convicted in the U.S. for his involvement in acts of torture during the tenure of Yahya Jammeh as President of the Gambia. Correa, who was part of a military unit called the “Junglers,” was found guilty on April 15 of torturing individuals and conspiring to torture suspected opponents of Jammeh. This conviction marks the first case under U.S. criminal torture law against a non-U.S. citizen.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen said, “Correa’s crimes caught up with him today,” emphasizing the agency’s commitment to holding human rights violators accountable. “We have a zero-tolerance policy for human rights violators,” Cagen added.
Matthew R. Galeotti from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division stated, “Michael Sang Correa tried to evade responsibility for his crimes in The Gambia by coming to the United States and hiding his past,” but highlighted that the authorities had ensured he would face justice. He further remarked, “If you commit violent crimes — let alone torture or other human rights violations — do not come to the United States.”
Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado condemned Correa’s acts as “abhorrent” and commended the jurors and witnesses involved in the trial, stating, “today’s verdict shows you can’t get away with coming to Colorado to hide from your past crimes.”
The court heard harrowing testimonies from the victims, detailing the torture inflicted by Correa and his co-conspirators. The incidents occurred in March and April 2006, shortly after a failed coup attempt in Gambia. Victims testified to suffering severe physical and mental abuse, including beatings, stabbings, burnings, and electrocution.
Correa arrived in the U.S. in December 2016 and was arrested by ICE in 2019 after overstaying his visa. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of torture and conspiracy to commit torture. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing.
The investigation was led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Denver, assisted by agents in Dakar, Senegal, the U.S. Embassy in Banjul, the FBI Legal Attaché in Dakar, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC).
ICE continues to pursue investigations into over 180 suspected human rights violators globally, with more than 79,000 lookouts issued for potential perpetrators. The public is urged to report any information about foreign nationals suspected of human rights abuses by contacting the ICE Tip Line or completing the online tip form.
