The US has indicted a Ugandan national over an alleged $58 million international conspiracy to supply weapons to a Mexican drug syndicate.

In an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, prosecutors allege that Michael Katungi Mpeirwe conspired to provide the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with military-grade weaponry including machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, night vision equipment, sniper rifles, anti-personnel mines, and anti-aircraft weapons.

Investigators claim the group worked to secure falsified arms control documents to disguise the weapons’ true destination and shipped a test consignment of 50 AK-47 assault rifles from Bulgaria. The Ugandan is effectively co-accused with Bulgarian national Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga.

Plans allegedly extended to include surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon system.

Lengthy jail term possibility

This February the cartel was formally designated a foreign terrorist organisation, making arms sales to the group illegal under US and international law.

If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in US prison.