Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that two naturalized U.S. citizens living in Minnesota have been indicted for allegedly directing kidnappings, bombings, and killings in Cameroon while residing in the United States.
A federal grand jury charged Benedict Nwana Kuah, 51, and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, 52, with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad, conspiracy to provide material support, and conspiracy to launder money. Kuah faces additional charges for providing material support, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States.
According to prosecutors, Kuah and Wongbi are senior leaders of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, an armed separatist group seeking to carve out a new state in Cameroon. Kuah served as chairman of the group’s “War Council,” while Wongbi led its defense and logistics branch. Officials say the two men financed and directed fighters to attack civilians, government officials, and security forces in order to pressure the Cameroonian government into recognizing the group’s legitimacy.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations arrested the men in Minneapolis following the indictment. Authorities allege the pair used their U.S. citizenship as cover to coordinate violent acts abroad.
“The defendants are alleged to have orchestrated heinous acts of violence abroad while residing in the United States, exploiting their status to fund and direct terror,” said HSI St. Paul Acting Special Agent in Charge Samuel Westbay. “HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to ensure that our nation does not serve as a safe haven for those who seek to harm others or destabilize governments through violence and fear.”
The case was investigated through the HSI-led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, which targets human rights abusers and war criminals attempting to live in the United States. Since its creation in 2003, the center has issued more than 79,000 lookouts and stopped more than 390 suspected perpetrators of atrocities from entering the country.
Prosecutors stressed that Kuah and Wongbi are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
