MWE Correspondent
A Tanzanian man is facing trial in the United States after being accused of helping supply military-grade weapons worth $58 million (Sh145 billion) to one of the world’s most violent drug cartels.
Subiro Osmund Mwapinga, was arrested in Accra, Ghana, on April 8, 2025, following an urgent Interpol alert issued at the request of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Acting swiftly on the intelligence, Ghanaian authorities detained him before approving his extradition to the United States, where he arrived on July 25.
Mwapinga is now set to appear before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alongside co-defendants from Bulgaria, Kenya, and Uganda. Prosecutors allege that the group conspired to deliver a cache of weapons — including rocket launchers, grenades, sniper rifles, and anti-aircraft systems — to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a powerful Mexican criminal syndicate notorious for its violence.
According to the indictment, the plot involved falsifying end-user certificates to make it appear as though the weapons were destined for legitimate buyers in Africa. In reality, investigators claim, the arms were intended to enhance the cartel’s firepower and protect its lucrative cocaine trafficking routes into the U.S.
Also Read; Deadly Assault on Sudan’s Abu Shouk Refugee Camp
The operation, valued at over €53 million (USD 58 million), was allegedly coordinated through international contacts and front companies to disguise the true recipients. If convicted, Mwapinga and his co-accused could face sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison.
The case is part of a broader U.S. crackdown on transnational arms trafficking networks that feed violent organized crime across continents. The CJNG, designated as a foreign terrorist organization by U.S. authorities, has been linked to hundreds of killings, including attacks on police, journalists, and rival gangs in Mexico.
Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is closely following developments in the case. “We have been informed of the arrest and extradition of our citizen. Our embassy is monitoring the proceedings,” a ministry spokesperson said, without offering further comment on the allegations.
