TOP STORY: Ugandan Diplomat Indicted in U.S. Over Global Arms Trafficking Scheme Linked to Mexican Drug Cartels
Washington D.C. / Kampala – August 12, 2025
A Ugandan government policy advisor and former diplomat, Michael Katungi Mpeirwe, has been indicted in the United States for his alleged role in a transnational arms trafficking conspiracy aimed at supplying military-grade weaponry to one of Mexico’s most violent drug cartels, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
![Image: Michael Katungi at a diplomatic function – File Photo]
Caption: Michael Katungi Mpeirwe during his time as deputy head of mission at the Uganda High Commission.
According to an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Katungi — alongside Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga, and Bulgarian arms trafficker Peter Dimitrov Mirchev — conspired to illegally export machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, sniper rifles, anti-aircraft systems, and other weapons to the CJNG.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that the group used fraudulently acquired end-user certificates (EUCs) and delivery verification protocols (DVPs) to mask the real recipients of the arms — in this case, a designated foreign terrorist organisation.
“The defendants allegedly believed these weapons would be used to traffic massive quantities of cocaine into the U.S.,” read part of the indictment.
Who is Michael Katungi Mpeirwe?
- Katungi is a former deputy head of mission at the Uganda High Commission.
- He served as a security logistics officer for the African Union Commission and has advised on security in Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
- In 2024, he was appointed diaspora head of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a political pressure group headed by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the current Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Museveni.
- He unsuccessfully contested for MP of Butemba County, Kyankwanzi, in 2021 and again lost in recent NRM primaries.
![Image: Seized military equipment – U.S. Department of Justice]
Caption: Sample of military-grade weapons intercepted in similar international trafficking operations.
The Alleged Plot
The indictment details a high-level scheme involving:
- Multiple meetings in Cape Town and London with supposed cartel representatives.
- Plans to deliver 50 AK-47 rifles in a test shipment using a fraudulent Tanzanian EUC.
- Future weapons deals worth €53.7 million (UGX 200 billion).
- Efforts to conceal the cartel’s involvement by routing documents through East African officials.
“Katungi allegedly offered to secure fraudulent EUCs in exchange for a 2% commission on each weapons deal,” U.S. prosecutors stated.
The CJNG was officially designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the U.S. in February 2025 due to its violent operations and expansive role in global narcotics trafficking.
⚖️ Charges Filed
The four foreign nationals face multiple charges, including:
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
- Conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organisation
- Conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking
If convicted, they face lengthy prison sentences under U.S. federal law.
The Ugandan government has yet to issue an official statement regarding Katungi’s indictment. His alleged co-conspirators remain under investigation across multiple jurisdictions.
This is a breaking international security story. We will provide further updates as extradition proceedings, trials, or diplomatic responses unfold.
