KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer Michael Katungi Mpeirwe has been arrested in Uganda and is expected to be extradited to the United States to face charges linked to an alleged international arms-trafficking conspiracy involving one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organisations.
Security sources confirmed that Katungi was arrested on Saturday afternoon and remained in custody at the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli, Kampala, on Sunday as authorities finalised extradition arrangements.
Officials familiar with the matter said Ugandan and U.S. authorities were coordinating logistical and legal processes required for his transfer to the United States.
Katungi is among four individuals named in a criminal indictment filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The indictment also names Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga.
U.S. prosecutors allege that the four men participated in a sophisticated transnational conspiracy to supply military-grade weapons to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most notorious criminal organisations.
Alleged international weapons network
According to court documents, the alleged conspiracy dates back to September 2022 and involved efforts to procure and transport large quantities of military equipment destined for CJNG operatives.
Prosecutors allege the network sought to acquire an extensive arsenal, including AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, sniper rifles, hand grenades, anti-personnel mines, drones, anti-drone systems, night-vision equipment and anti-aircraft weapons.
The indictment alleges that Katungi played a key role in obtaining and facilitating End-User Certificates (EUCs) and Delivery Verification Protocols (DVPs), documents required to authorise international arms transfers.
U.S. investigators claim the group used falsified documentation to conceal the intended destination of the weapons and create the appearance that they were being supplied to legitimate government entities in Africa.
One document cited in the indictment allegedly stated that 50 AK-47 rifles were being imported exclusively for use by the Tanzanian military. Prosecutors contend that the weapons were in fact intended for delivery to CJNG.
Alleged links to government and diplomatic networks
Court records identify Katungi as a Ugandan national with alleged connections to Ugandan government institutions.
The indictment states that he previously served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Uganda High Commission and later worked as a security logistics officer associated with the African Union Commission.
Prosecutors allege that during an April 2024 meeting in London, Katungi offered to assist in securing weapons and related documentation through contacts in Africa and within Ugandan government circles.
The indictment further claims he proposed receiving a two percent commission on weapons transactions facilitated through those networks.
Investigators allege that the conspiracy later expanded into discussions involving a proposed arms package valued at approximately €53.7 million (about US$58 million).
The package reportedly included assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, drones, ammunition and ZU-23 anti-aircraft systems, which prosecutors said were discussed as weapons capable of targeting low-flying aircraft, including helicopters.
Financial transactions under scrutiny
U.S. authorities allege that several financial transfers were made in support of the operation.
Court filings indicate that approximately US$5,000 was wired in October 2022 and a further US$30,000 in December 2022 to a Kenyan bank account belonging to co-accused Elisha Odhiambo Asumo.
Another transfer of US$37,977.53 was allegedly sent in November 2023 to a Bulgarian arms manufacturer associated with Mirchev.
Prosecutors argue that these transactions formed part of efforts to secure weapons and logistics for the alleged trafficking network.
Charges and potential penalties
The indictment contains three major criminal counts.
The first charge alleges conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while knowing the narcotics would be imported into the United States.
The second count alleges conspiracy to possess firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, in furtherance of drug-trafficking activities.
The third charge accuses the defendants of conspiring to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation.
That charge follows the United States government’s designation of CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation on February 20, 2025.
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If convicted, Katungi and his co-accused face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive life sentences.
Prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of assets, proceeds and weapons allegedly connected to the operation, including a shipping container reportedly seized with approximately 50 AK-47-style rifles, magazines and ammunition.
International operation
The case reflects a broader international law-enforcement effort targeting transnational arms and narcotics trafficking networks.
According to U.S. authorities, Mirchev has already been extradited from Spain, Asumo from Morocco and Mwapinga from Ghana.
Until his reported arrest in Uganda, Katungi had been listed as a fugitive in the U.S. case.
The investigation is being led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Edgardo J. Rodriguez are handling the prosecution.
Neither the UPDF nor the Ugandan government had issued a formal statement on Katungi’s arrest by the time of publication.
The allegations contained in the indictment have not been tested in court. Katungi and his co-defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
