A former Ugandan military officer is headed for the United States after prosecutors approved his extradition over allegations that he helped plan the supply of weapons to Mexican drug cartels.
Katungi Michael Mpeirwe, a retired lieutenant in the Ugandan army, faces charges in the US over an alleged international arms-trafficking operation targeting criminal groups, including the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
Uganda's prosecution office announced on Friday that it had given the green light for Mpeirwe's extradition to the United States.
The case has drawn attention because of Mpeirwe's previous ties to Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's army chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni. Kainerugaba has been manoeuvring to take over the leadership of the East African nation.
Mpeirwe was also involved in Kainerugaba's political activities, serving as his party's director of external affairs before he was removed from the position following the filing of the US indictment in July 2025.
The charges against him stem from an indictment filed in the US state of Virginia. American prosecutors accuse Mpeirwe of being part of a plan to move large quantities of military equipment to Mexican cartels.
The weapons and equipment listed in the indictment include machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, sniper rifles, night vision devices, anti-personnel mines and anti-aircraft weapons.
CJNG was identified as one of the intended criminal groups and was described by US authorities as "one of Mexico's most violent and prolific transnational criminal organisations".
Prosecutors allege that Mpeirwe did not act alone. The indictment names Bulgarian arms trafficker Peter Dimitrov Mirchev as another alleged participant, alongside two nationals from Kenya and Tanzania.
The alleged arrangement involved moving the weapons from Bulgaria to Tanzania, with the equipment then intended to be taken onwards to the cartel.
US authorities also claim the alleged weapons operation was not limited to the equipment initially identified in the case. They say the people involved were discussing the possibility of supplying the cartels with more powerful weapons.
"The defendants allegedly continued to conspire to supply drug cartels with even more weaponry, potentially including surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon system," the indictment said.
Mirchev's name has previously appeared in another major international arms-trafficking case. He was implicated in the supply of weapons to Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who was exchanged with the United States in 2022 and returned to Russia.
Mirchev was arrested in Spain in April 2025 and later extradited to the United States earlier this year.
With Uganda's prosecution authorities approving Mpeirwe's extradition, the former soldier is now set to be transferred to the US to answer to the allegations contained in the indictment.