Ugandan accused of supplying cocaine, guns to Mexican cartel says 'not aware of US indictment'

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Michael Katungi Mpeirwe, a Ugandan retired lieutenant, says he is not aware of the US indictment for conspiring to supply military-grade weapons to one of Mexico’s most dangerous criminal outfits.

Katungi and three others from Bulgaria, Kenya and Tanzania are accused of supplying arms to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

The three others are: Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, a Bulgaria-based arms dealer; Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, a Kenyan national, and Subiro Osmund Mwapinga from Tanzania.

Katungi told New Vision Online in an interview on Monday, August 11, 2026, that he had not received any formal information or notification from any official authority regarding the indictment.

“I am unaware of any such proceedings or allegations as reported in the media related to an alleged illegal arms deal. I take all allegations of this nature very seriously and believe in the importance of due process and the presumption of innocence,” he said.

Katungi, a leader in the Patriotic League of Uganda, a civic organisation, argued that without formal notification or details of any such indictment, he was unable to comment further on the specifics of the allegations reported.

“I am also compelled to note that a certain narrative appears to be aimed at maligning my reputation,” he said.

About the indictment

The indictment, filed on April 10, 2025, in the US district Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, details a sophisticated conspiracy involving arms trafficking, drug distribution and terrorism financing.

The accused face charges, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation.

According to court documents, Katungi served as a policy advisor in the Ugandan government and previously worked as deputy head of mission and security logistics officer with the African Union Commission. His government experience and network allegedly enabled him to facilitate illegal arms deals by helping to corruptly obtain official documents known as end-user certificates (EUCs) and delivery verification protocols (DVPs).

He is said to have collaborated closely with Asumo, who specialises in bribing officials to secure false EUCs and DVPs, as well as essential paperwork designed to legitimise international arms transactions.

“In and around April 2024, Katungi attended a meeting in London regarding the planned arms deal. He offered to illegally obtain firearms for future sale to the CJNG as part of a planned arms deal between the governments of Russia and Uganda.

Katungi also explained that he could use his connections throughout Africa and the Ugandan government to easily obtain EUCs for future arms deal in exchange for a 2% commission,” reads excerpts of the indictment. With assistance from Tanzania’s Mwapinga, they allegedly forged official documents falsely stating that the shipped weapons were destined for African militaries, yet they were intended for CJNG. Leading the operation was Mirchev, a veteran arms trafficker based in Bulgaria, with an estimated 25 years of experience in illicit weapons sale.

The indictment also states that in and around July last year, Mirchev and others exported 50 AK47 automatic assault rifles and accompanying magazines and ammunition from Bulgaria to the CJNG.

After the seizure of the weapons, Asumo obtained a DVP, purportedly signed by the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Defence National Services of Tanzania, reflecting that the Tanzanian military had received the weapons, even though it had not.

Following this shipment, Mirchev discussed plans to supply the cartel with more devastating weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft system, capable of firing explosive rounds designed to shoot down helicopters and other low-flying targets.

Mirchev’s arms brochure allegedly included these and other sophisticated militarygrade weapons, with a proposed sale of nearly $58m (about sh206b). Mirchev allegedly co-ordinated meetings with representatives claiming to be from the CJNG, negotiating sale of lethal weaponry, including machine guns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles and anti-aircraft systems.

Kenyan bank accounts Payments for these forged documents flowed through Kenyan bank accounts linked to Asumo, with tens of thousands of dollars wired from US bank accounts.

The indictment details meetings in Cape Town, South Africa and London, where the conspirators allegedly negotiated terms, discussed payment, and planned future shipments, including to CJNG.