Alagie Barrow, Conspiracy Violating Neutrality Act, Minnesota 2014

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Alagie Barrow, a 41-year-old dual U.S./Gambian citizen and resident of Tennessee, has been charged with conspiracy to violate the Neutrality Act by planning and participating in a plot to overthrow the Gambian government. The alleged plot was foiled on December 30, 2014, in an unsuccessful attempted coup against the government of The Gambia.

The Gambia, a country in West Africa bordered by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean, is a friendly nation to the United States. According to the criminal complaint, in December 2014, Barrow traveled from the United States to The Gambia for the purpose of overthrowing the Gambian government.

Barrow was assisted by a co-conspirator, Cherno Njie, a U.S. citizen of Gambian descent and a resident of Texas, who served as a financier and a leader of the conspiracy. Had the coup attempt succeeded, Njie and his co-conspirators expected that Njie would have served as the interim leader of the Gambia.

According to the criminal complaint, before departing the United States for The Gambia, Barrow participated in conference calls to discuss the operational plan of the coup. Barrow and two others were the primary authors of the operational plan.

Prior to departing for The Gambia, the members of the conspiracy purchased multiple firearms, including M4 semi-automatic rifles, and shipped them to The Gambia for use in the coup attempt. Members of the conspiracy also acquired night-vision goggles, body armor, ammunition, black military style uniform pants, boots, and other personal equipment.

Barrow traveled to The Gambia as part of the ‘advance party.’ He assisted other members of the group when they arrived in The Gambia and was responsible for delivering them to safe houses. Barrow also conducted reconnaissance of the group’s target, the State House.

On December 30, 2014, a number of the co-conspirators met in the woods near the State House in Banjul, which is the home of the Gambian President, and split into two assault teams. Barrow was not present at that meeting, and waited with Njie in a safe place until the assault teams took control of the facility.

The investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and its partners on Joint Terrorism Task Forces in multiple field offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Kovats and John Marti of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Richard Scott, a Deputy Chief in the Counterespionage Section of the National Security Division.

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