A Colorado jury has delivered a guilty verdict against Michael Sang Correa, a Gambian national, convicting him on torture charges linked to events in The Gambia in 2006. Correa's crimes involved severe torture of multiple victims, targeted due to suspicions of their involvement in a conspiracy against then-President Yahya Jammeh. He faced charges of beating and burning victims during this period.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of 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," emphasizing the importance of the trial and the commitment to bringing human rights violators to justice.
Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell applauded the jury's decision: "Today’s verdict shows you can’t get away with coming to Colorado to hide from your past crimes."
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge, Steve Cagen, reinforced the message, remarking how Correa’s decision to evade justice ultimately failed, as the U.S. maintains a "zero-tolerance policy for human rights violators."
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Correa was part of an armed unit called the “Junglers,” affiliated with former President Jammeh. The testimonies detailed acts of torture, including burning a victim's thigh with molten plastic, suffocating victims, and utilizing electrocution on various body parts.
Correa had entered the United States in December 2016, securing a visa, and evaded capture until 2019. Following his arrest that year, he faced torture charges in 2020. This case marks the first conviction of a non-U.S. citizen on torture charges in a federal district court.
Correa risks facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the five counts of torture he was charged with, as well as for conspiracy to commit torture. He remains in U.S. custody awaiting sentencing.
The investigation was led by the HSI Denver Field Office with input from HSI agents in Senegal and other federal entities. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center played a pivotal role in the case. The prosecution was conducted by Acting Principal Deputy Chief Christina Giffin and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa, alongside Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Hindman and Laura Cramer-Babycz.
The U.S. government continues its broader mission to identify and prosecute individuals involved in human rights violations. They encourage those with information on such perpetrators residing in the United States to contact law enforcement via provided tip lines and online forms.
