By Hadram Hydara, Denver, Colorado
April 10
A retired US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent detailed in federal court Thursday how he tracked down and arrested Michael Sang Correa, a man accused of serving in a notorious death squad under former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, during a high-profile torture and conspiracy case.
Retired Special Agent Barton Garrison testified before Judge Christine M. Arguello in Denver, outlining a 2019 investigation that led to Correa’s arrest. Garrison revealed that subpoenas issued to Western Union helped authorities trace Correa’s location through financial transactions, culminating in his detention in Colorado.
Prosecutors played multiple audio recordings of Correa’s interviews with Garrison, admitted into evidence as exhibits 73A—1, 73B—1, 73D—1, 73E—1, and 73G—1. In one exchange, Correa described his role as a “private soldier” under Jammeh’s regime, stating: “I had no rank. I was a private soldier [and] when I [was] ordered to arrest somebody, I [did] it.”
In exhibit 73G—1, Correa acknowledged being a member of the ‘Junglers’—a paramilitary unit allegedly linked to assassinations, torture, and enforced disappearances during Jammeh’s 22-year rule. However, he denied direct involvement in torture, saying: “Did I witness my colleagues torturing people? Yes, I did, but did I take part? No, I didn’t.”
The testimony revealed contradictions: In an earlier recording, Correa initially told Garrison he had “never” witnessed anyone being tortured, a claim later contradicted by his admission in a subsequent interview.
Prosecutors also displayed images of Correa’s diplomatic passport, which contained U.S. visas stamped “cancelled.” The documents underscored his ties to Jammeh’s government, which was toppled in 2017.
Correa faces charges of torture and conspiracy to commit torture under U.S. law, which allows prosecution for such acts committed abroad. His case is among the first in the U.S. targeting alleged perpetrators of atrocities under Jammeh, who has been accused of widespread human rights abuses.
The trial continues as prosecutors seek to link Correa to abuses committed by the Gambian regime. International human rights groups have long called for accountability for the ‘Junglers,’ accused of operating as Jammeh’s clandestine enforcers.
