An American soldier was arrested Sunday while attempting to cross into Tanzania from Kenya, according to a Tanzanian police statement.
Tanzanian authorities said that Charles Onkuri Ongeta was arrested while attempting to cross the border in a Toyota Land Cruiser in possession of four CS M68 hand grenades. Police said he is 30 years old, a sergeant in the U.S. Army and a dual Kenyan and U.S. citizen.
Military Times has not been able to independently verify that information. The Army confirmed a soldier had been arrested, but did not provide details.
“We are aware that on November 16, 2025, a U.S. Army soldier was arrested attempting to enter Tanzania from Kenya with family members while attempting to visit relatives in Tanzania,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa spokesperson Terry L. Welch said in a statement Tuesday.
Welch said U.S. and Tanzanian officials are working “to address the issue,” but that no additional information about the soldier would be released at this time.
Tanzania is currently reeling from deadly demonstrations after October’s presidential election, in which major groups challenging the incumbent were barred from running.
Reelected President Samia Suluhu Hassan blamed foreigners for inciting the violence, an allegation at least one rights group has declared “unsubstantiated.”
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
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