Former Ugandan Military Officer Arrested as U.S. Pursues Extradition in Alleged $58 Million Arms Plot — Reports

The arrest of former Uganda People’s Defence Forces officer Michael Katungi Mpeirwe has thrust Uganda into the center of an international criminal case that U.S. prosecutors say spans three continents, involves sophisticated weapons procurement networks and allegedly sought to arm one of Mexico’s most feared drug cartels.

Ugandan security officials arrested Katungi on Saturday, according to reporting referencing security sources, setting in motion what authorities say will be his extradition to the United States to answer charges contained in an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

By Sunday morning, Katungi remained in custody at the Criminal Investigations Directorate headquarters in Kibuli as Ugandan and American officials finalized the legal and logistical arrangements for his transfer, reports further suggested.

The case is one of the most expansive international arms-trafficking prosecutions brought by U.S. authorities in recent years.

Prosecutors allege that Katungi was part of a multinational network that attempted to broker military-grade weapons worth approximately €53.7 million—about $58 million—for Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), an organization that Washington has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The indictment names Katungi alongside Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga. According to prosecutors, the alleged conspiracy began around September 2022 and relied on an elaborate web of forged paperwork, financial transfers and international meetings to conceal the intended destination of the weapons.

Among the arsenal allegedly discussed were AK-47 assault rifles, PKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, sniper rifles, grenades, anti-personnel mines, drones, anti-drone systems, night-vision equipment, ammunition and ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns capable of engaging low-flying aircraft, including helicopters.

American prosecutors describe Katungi as a Ugandan national with connections to the Ugandan government who allegedly played a critical role in securing End-User Certificates and Delivery Verification Protocols—documents required to legitimize international arms transfers.

Before his arrest, Katungi had served as Deputy Head of Mission at Uganda’s High Commission and had also worked as a security logistics officer associated with the African Union Commission.

Prosecutors argue that those credentials and regional contacts enabled him to allegedly facilitate documentation that would make illicit arms shipments appear legitimate.

According to the indictment, investigators uncovered evidence suggesting that falsified documents were used to disguise the real destination of weapons.

One example cited involves paperwork stating that 50 AK-47 rifles were destined for the Tanzanian military, while prosecutors allege the shipment was actually intended for the Mexican cartel.

The charging documents also trace a series of financial transactions allegedly connected to the conspiracy. Prosecutors say approximately $5,000 was transferred in October 2022 to a Kenyan bank account belonging to co-accused Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, followed by another $30,000 in December that year.

In November 2023, investigators allege that nearly $38,000 was wired to a Bulgarian arms manufacturer linked to Mirchev.

The allegations intensified following a meeting in London in April 2024. U.S. prosecutors contend that Katungi attended the gathering and allegedly offered to obtain firearms illegally for the cartel while claiming he could leverage contacts in Uganda and elsewhere in Africa to secure official documentation in return for a two percent commission on the transactions.

The indictment portrays the discussions as part of an increasingly ambitious plan to assemble an extensive military stockpile for the criminal organization.

Investigators allege the proposed deal eventually expanded into tens of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and equipment, reflecting what prosecutors describe as a sophisticated international procurement network stretching across Africa, Europe and North America.

Despite the sweeping allegations, the indictment is not a finding of guilt. Katungi, like his co-accused, is presumed innocent unless and until the charges are proven in court.

The legal case against Katungi rests on three major conspiracy charges that U.S. prosecutors argue connect international arms trafficking, narcotics distribution and support for a criminal organization that Washington now classifies as a terrorist group.

The first count alleges conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing that the narcotics would ultimately be imported into the United States.

A second charge accuses the defendants of conspiring to possess machine guns and other destructive devices in furtherance of drug trafficking activities.

The third alleges conspiracy to provide material support to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), which the United States designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Feb. 20, 2025.

If convicted, Katungi and the other defendants face severe penalties under U.S. federal law, including a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years and the possibility of life imprisonment.

Prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of assets, proceeds and weapons allegedly connected to the conspiracy, including a shipping container seized during the investigation that reportedly contained about 50 AK-47-style rifles, ammunition and dozens of magazines.

Katungi’s arrest also marks the latest development in what has become a coordinated multinational enforcement effort. Authorities have already secured the extradition of Bulgarian national Peter Dimitrov Mirchev from Spain, Kenyan suspect Elisha Odhiambo Asumo from Morocco and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga from Ghana.

Until his alleged arrest in Kampala, Katungi had remained the only defendant listed by prosecutors as being at large.

The investigation has been led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, working alongside international law enforcement agencies across multiple jurisdictions.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Edgardo J. Rodriguez before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

For Uganda, the case is likely to draw renewed attention to the vulnerability of international arms procurement systems and the scrutiny facing former military and diplomatic officials whose professional networks extend across borders.

While prosecutors allege that Katungi attempted to exploit official documentation and government contacts to facilitate illicit weapons transfers, those claims remain subject to judicial examination and must be tested in court.

Ugandan authorities have not publicly detailed the legal process that will precede Katungi’s transfer to the United States, although officials familiar with the matter indicated that the necessary extradition arrangements were being finalized following his arrest, according to reports.

The proceedings are expected to be closely watched in both Kampala and Washington, not only because of the prominence of the allegations but also because they underscore the increasingly global nature of organized crime investigations.

The indictment describes an alleged network that stretched from East Africa to Europe and North America, illustrating how international law enforcement agencies have intensified cooperation in pursuing cross-border arms trafficking and narcotics conspiracies.

For now, however, the accusations remain exactly that—allegations. The U.S. indictment outlines the government’s version of events, but under both Ugandan and American legal principles, Michael Katungi Mpeirwe and his co-accused are presumed innocent unless and until their guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Relatedly, a Ugandan pastor was recently arrested in America, as reported Here and There.

You can see the list of Ugandans on the Trump’s worst of the worst list over crimes Here.