Michael Sang Correa, a 46-year-old Gambian national, was sentenced in the District of Colorado to 67 years and six months in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit torture and five counts of torture. The court found that Correa inflicted severe violence on his victims, including burning them with molten plastic and subjecting them to repeated beatings using various weapons.
“Today, Michael Correa has finally been held accountable for the brutal violence he inflicted on others,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. “The United States will not be a safe haven for individuals who seek to conceal their egregious human rights violations. We are proud to have worked with our law enforcement partners to secure this sentence, and we thank the brave victims whose testimony helped ensure that justice is done.”
“The victims of these crimes carried the weight of unimaginable suffering for years, not knowing whether they would ever see their torturer held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado. “Today’s sentence delivers a measure of justice for them and affirms that the United States stands firmly with those whose human rights have been violated. This prosecution and sentence should serve as a deterrent for criminals who think they might escape accountability by coming to Colorado.”
“Mr. Correa’s crimes were barbaric and uncivilized; they have no place in the modern world,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Denver. “I hope this sentence can bring some kind of closure for his victims and their families. A standard was set with this trial and sentencing, Homeland Security Investigations will hunt down and bring to justice those that commit these horrific crimes.”
During the trial, evidence showed that Correa was part of an armed group called the “Junglers,” which reported directly to former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. The jury determined that Correa conspired with others in this unit to carry out acts of torture against individuals suspected of plotting against Jammeh. Several victims described long-term physical and psychological effects from these abuses.
In March 2006, following a failed coup attempt in The Gambia, Correa and other Junglers took several people to Mile 2 Prison where they suffered weeks of abuse such as beatings, stabbings, burnings, electrocutions, suffocation attempts, threats at gunpoint, hanging upside down while being beaten, hammer strikes to the head, and cigarette burns.
Correa entered the United States in December 2016 after obtaining a visa but avoided arrest until 2019 when ICE apprehended him and began removal proceedings. He was charged with torture in 2020—marking the first time a non-U.S. national has been convicted under federal torture statutes.
The investigation was led by HSI Denver Field Office with support from agents in Senegal, staff at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul (The Gambia), FBI Legal Attaché in Senegal, and significant assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). The HRVWCC works to identify and prosecute human rights abusers present in the United States.
Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman; Chief Laura Cramer-Babycz from Cybercrime and National Security Section; Acting Principal Deputy Chief Christina Giffin; Trial Attorney Marie Zisa from Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section; along with historian/analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden.
Authorities encourage anyone with information about suspected human rights violators residing in the United States to contact law enforcement through several channels including phone lines or online forms available at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
