Michael Katungi, a Ugandan citizen is at the centre of a high-stakes international manhunt after being named in a U.S. federal indictment accusing him of helping supply some of the world’s most dangerous weapons to Mexico’s most feared drug cartel.
Michael Katungi Mpeirwe, a prominent member and leader in PLU, a political pressure group led by Uganda army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is accused by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) of conspiring with three other foreign nationals to sell military-grade hardware — from assault rifles to anti-aircraft guns — to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
The CJNG is no ordinary cartel. It has been labelled both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Group by the United States for its brutal tactics and vast cocaine trafficking operations into North America. U.S. officials say it is “one of the most prolific and violent transnational criminal organizations in the world.”
According to the unsealed indictment in Virginia, Mpeirwe’s path into the alleged arms network began when he was recruited by Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, who was working under Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Dimitrov Mirchev — a man previously linked to the infamous Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout.
Investigators say Mpeirwe’s role was critical. He allegedly helped obtain a falsified Tanzanian End-User Certificate (EUC), an official document meant to declare the legitimate recipient of weapons shipments. The document stated the arms were for Tanzania, but prosecutors say the real customer was the CJNG.
This fake paperwork was allegedly used to ship a “test consignment” of 50 AK-47 assault rifles, magazines, and ammunition from Bulgaria.
But that was just the beginning. Mirchev is said to have prepared a €53.7 million ($58 million) shopping list for the cartel — including rocket launchers, anti-personnel mines, night vision scopes, anti-aircraft drones, and the fearsome ZU-23 air defence gun system. Mpeirwe and his alleged co-conspirators were reportedly preparing to supply these weapons when the sting operation closed in.
The indictment is the result of an elaborate DEA-led investigation known as Operation Take Back America, with cooperation from authorities in Spain, Morocco, Ghana, Greece, and the U.S.
On 8 April 2025, Mirchev was arrested in Madrid, Spain; Asumo was detained in Casablanca, Morocco; and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga was picked up in Accra, Ghana. Mwapinga has since been extradited to the United States.
Mpeirwe, however, has evaded capture and remains at large. His whereabouts are unknown, though sources in Uganda’s security circles told this newspaper that “quiet inquiries” are underway to determine whether he has been operating inside the country in recent months or is hiding abroad.
The case has sparked uncomfortable questions about Uganda’s vulnerability to being drawn into high-level transnational crime. If confirmed, Mpeirwe’s involvement would represent one of the most significant allegations against a Ugandan in the sphere of global arms trafficking.
A retired senior security officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the case “should serve as a wake-up call,” adding:
“The moment Ugandans start appearing in U.S. indictments for arming terrorist-designated groups, it’s not just a personal problem for that individual — it becomes a national security and diplomatic issue.”
Potential Consequences
If caught and extradited to the U.S., Mpeirwe faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. Federal judges in the U.S. have broad discretion, but sentences in terrorism-linked arms cases tend to be severe.
The indictment also means Ugandan authorities may face requests for intelligence cooperation with the U.S. DEA, Interpol, and regional security agencies.