Eronda
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- Dec 16, 2025
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Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer Michael Katungi Mpeirwe could face life imprisonment in the United States if he is extradited and convicted on charges linked to an alleged international arms trafficking conspiracy involving a Mexican drug cartel.
Katungi, a former Central Executive official of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), is currently at the centre of extradition proceedings before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court after U.S. authorities sought his surrender to stand trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The case has exposed a months-long diplomatic and legal process involving the United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The matter began on April 10, 2025, when the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued an arrest warrant against Katungi under Case No. 1:25-CR-102.
The warrant directed law enforcement officers to: “Arrest and bring before a United States magistrate judge without unnecessary delay Michael Katungi Mpeirwe.”
According to the indictment, Katungi’s alleged role was to use his government and regional connections to help obtain official arms documents needed to disguise the true destination of weapons intended for Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Prosecutors describe him as “a Ugandan national with connections to the Ugandan government who works with Asumo in acquiring EUCs and DVPs in Africa.”
The indictment says that after Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Mirchev recruited Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, “Asumo, in turn, recruited Mpeirwe, who recruited Mwapinga.”
U.S. prosecutors allege that the three men obtained a Tanzanian End-User Certificate falsely stating that 50 AK-47 rifles were intended solely for the Tanzanian military.
The indictment states that “Asumo, Mpeirwe, and Mwapinga obtained an EUC from the United Republic of Tanzania authorizing the importation of fifty (50) AK-47 automatic assault rifles by a Tanzanian arms company ‘for the sole use of’ the Tanzanian military.” U.S. authorities say the document was used to conceal that the weapons were actually intended for the Mexican cartel.
The indictment further alleges that Katungi personally attended a meeting in London in April 2024 where he offered to facilitate future arms deals.
Potential Life Sentence
The charges facing Katungi carry some of the most severe penalties under U.S. federal law.
The conspiracy to possess firearms charge under 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(o) and 2 ordinarily carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
However, because the indictment alleges the conspiracy involved machine guns and destructive devices, the statutory maximum rises to life imprisonment.
The charge of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organisation under 18 U.S.C. § 2339B carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and can also result in a life sentence under certain circumstances.
In addition, the narcotics trafficking count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
Under the U.S. federal sentencing system, the final sentence is determined by a judge after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines, the nature of the offences, the quantity of drugs and weapons involved and the defendant’s criminal history.
Legal experts say convictions involving international narcotics trafficking, terrorism-related offences and military-grade weaponry often result in decades-long prison terms and, in the most serious cases, life imprisonment.
Source Chimp reports
Also Read:Ex-UPDF Soldier Remanded for US Extradition on Terror, Drug Charges
