Detroit, USA — September 5, 2025: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it has deported Charles Emile Mbayo, described as a former high-ranking member of Sierra Leone’s 1992–1996 military junta, to Freetown.
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Detroit confirmed that Mbayo was removed to Sierra Leone on August 20, 2025.
According to the agency, the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) —which seized power after toppling President Joseph Saidu Momoh on April 29, 1992 —was linked to extrajudicial executions on December 29, 1992 that claimed approximately 29 lives, including former officials and others accused of plotting against the regime.
ICE said Mbayo entered the United States on January 9, 1998 on an F-1 student visa and later sought permanent residency, a request denied in July 2023. He was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations on June 30, 2025 prior to removal.
ERO Detroit officials said the case was supported by the agency’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center.
Human rights reports and the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission have long recorded NPRC-era abuses, including unlawful killings, arrests, and torture during the civil conflict.
ICE officials said the removal aligns with ongoing efforts to ensure the U.S. is not a safe haven for suspected human rights violators.
