Global Manhunt: How US Tracked Ex UPDF Officer Katungi In International Arms Trafficking Saga!

By Swift Reporter

Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer Michael Katungi Mpeirwe is facing the possibility of life imprisonment in the United States if extradited and convicted over allegations linking him to an international arms trafficking network allegedly tied to a Mexican drug cartel.

Katungi, who previously served as a central executive official in the Patriotic League of Uganda, appeared yesterday before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kampala, where extradition proceedings took place following a formal request from U.S. authorities.

The case stems from an arrest warrant issued on April 10, 2025, by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, under Case No. 1:25-CR-102. The warrant directs law enforcement to arrest Katungi and bring him before a U.S. magistrate judge to face multiple charges related to firearms trafficking, narcotics, and alleged support to a designated foreign organisation.

According to U.S. prosecutors, Katungi is accused of playing a coordinating role in an alleged scheme to facilitate the movement of military-grade weapons intended for Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The indictment alleges that he used regional connections to help obtain end-user certificates and diplomatic documentation used to disguise the true destination of the weapons.

Prosecutors further allege that Katungi was recruited into the network after Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Mirchev allegedly brought in Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, who then recruited Katungi and others to facilitate the transactions. The indictment claims the group obtained a Tanzanian end-user certificate falsely indicating that 50 AK-47 rifles were intended for official military use.

U.S. authorities also allege that Katungi attended a meeting in London in April 2024, where he reportedly offered to facilitate future arms deals and indicated he could leverage connections across Africa, including within Uganda, to secure documentation for weapons transactions in exchange for commission.

The charges he faces carry some of the most severe penalties under U.S. federal law. Prosecutors say the conspiracy involving firearms and destructive devices could attract a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, while narcotics trafficking and alleged support for a foreign terrorist organisation also carry long prison terms, including life in certain circumstances.

The extradition request has followed a detailed diplomatic process involving the U.S. 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.

On March 27, 2026, Solicitor General Pius Perry Biribonwoha confirmed that Uganda could legally cooperate with the United States under existing international agreements, including the 1988 UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Uganda’s Extradition Act.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao subsequently authorised the commencement of extradition proceedings, leading to Katungi’s arrest and appearance before court.

During proceedings, state prosecutors informed Chief Magistrate Ritha Neumbe that the extradition request is properly grounded in international law. However, Katungi’s defence team, led by lawyer Musa Nsamba, objected to the process, arguing that they had not been furnished with sufficient disclosure to respond to the allegations.

“We intend to apply for disclosure. No single document has been furnished to the respondent or his lawyers to enable them to respond to the application,” Nsamba told court.

The defence also applied for bail, but the court declined to release Katungi, instead ordering the prosecution to file a formal extradition application by July 1, with the defence expected to respond by July 7.

Katungi was remanded until July 10, when substantive extradition hearings are expected to begin. The court will then determine whether Uganda meets the legal threshold to surrender him to U.S. authorities for trial.

If extradited and convicted, Katungi could face decades in prison or life imprisonment in the United States federal system.

Authorities emphasize that the allegations remain unproven, and Katungi is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.