A Gambian man living in the US state of Colorado has been charged over his alleged role in abusing suspected plotters of a failed 2006 coup in his home country against then President Yahya Jammeh.

Michael Sang Correa, 41, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and six counts of inflicting torture, according to court documents.

He was a member of an armed unit known as the “Junglers” that answered to the Gambian president. He arrived in the US in December 2016.

Local media quote US attorney Jason Dunn as saying that they are using a federal law that allows foreigners suspected of committing torture in other countries to be prosecuted in the US.