Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces officer Uganda People’s Defence Forces Michael Katungi Mpeirwe has been arrested in Uganda and is now facing extradition to the United States over allegations that he participated in a $58 million international arms trafficking conspiracy linked to Mexico’s powerful cartel network, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.
Security sources confirmed that Katungi was picked up on Saturday afternoon and by Sunday morning was being held at CID headquarters in Kibuli, Kampala as Ugandan and U.S. authorities coordinated his transfer. Officials familiar with the process said extradition arrangements were already in advanced stages following months of communication between the two governments.
According to the U.S. indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Katungi is accused of being part of a wider transnational network involving Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga. Prosecutors allege that from around September 2022 the group conspired to supply military-grade weapons to CJNG, which is described in court documents as “one of Mexico’s most violent and prolific transnational criminal organizations,” with operations spanning several continents.
The indictment further states that Katungi, described as a Ugandan national “with connections to the Ugandan government,” allegedly played a facilitation role in acquiring arms documentation in Africa. It is alleged that he worked with others to secure End-User Certificates and Delivery Verification Protocols that were used to disguise the true destination of weapons shipments.
A key moment in the case is said to have taken place in London in April 2024, where prosecutors allege Katungi attended a meeting linked to the arms deal. Court filings state that he “offered to illegally obtain firearms for future sale to the CJNG” and told participants that he could rely on “connections throughout Africa and the Ugandan government” to secure the necessary documentation in exchange for a 2 percent commission.
Investigators further allege that the group attempted to route a large-scale weapons package valued at about $58 million, which included AK-47 rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, drones, anti-drone systems and anti-aircraft weapons such as ZU-23 systems. Prosecutors say some of these systems were discussed as capable of targeting low-flying aircraft including helicopters, raising the severity of the alleged conspiracy.
The indictment also describes how false paperwork was allegedly used to conceal the real destination of weapons. In one instance, prosecutors state that documents falsely indicated that 50 AK-47 rifles were being imported for use by the Tanzanian military, when investigators say they were intended for CJNG. The court record further alleges that a “paper trail” was created using falsified End-User Certificates and Delivery Verification Protocols to make the shipments appear legitimate.
Financial transactions outlined in the case show multiple payments flowing through different jurisdictions. About $5,000 was allegedly wired in October 2022 to a Kenyan account linked to one of the accused, followed by $30,000 in December 2022 as part of the same arrangement. A further $37,977.53 was allegedly transferred in November 2023 to a Bulgarian arms manufacturer associated with Mirchev, according to court documents.
The indictment, which contains three counts including conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, states that the defendants “did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other and others… to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine,” knowing it would be imported into the United States.
It further states that the alleged arms component of the conspiracy involved machine guns and destructive devices, describing it as part of a broader operation supporting drug trafficking activities linked to CJNG.
U.S. prosecutors say Mirchev has already been extradited from Spain, Asumo from Morocco, and Mwapinga from Ghana, leaving Katungi as the last major accused individual until his arrest in Uganda this week.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and could spend the rest of their lives in prison, alongside forfeiture of assets believed to be linked to the alleged network, including weapons shipments and financial proceeds.
