US soldier arrested trying to enter Tanzania with grenades, police say

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.

据坦桑尼亚警方声明，一名美国士兵周日在试图从肯尼亚越境进入坦桑尼亚时被捕。

坦桑尼亚当局称，查尔斯·翁库里·翁格塔（Charles Onkuri Ongeta）在试图驾驶一辆丰田陆地巡洋舰越境时被捕，车上携带了四枚CS M68手榴弹。警方称，他现年30岁，是美国陆军的一名士官，拥有肯尼亚和美国双重国籍。

《军事时报》尚未能独立核实该信息。陆军方面证实一名士兵被捕，但未提供详情。

“我们了解到，2025年11月16日，一名美国陆军士兵在试图从肯尼亚进入坦桑尼亚探望家人时被捕，”美国陆军欧洲和非洲发言人特里·L·韦尔奇周二在一份声明中说。

韦尔奇表示，美国和坦桑尼亚官员正在努力“解决这个问题”，但目前不会公布有关这名士兵的更多信息。

坦桑尼亚目前正遭受10月份总统选举后爆发的致命示威活动的冲击，在这次选举中，挑战现任总统的主要团体被禁止参选。

连任总统萨米娅·苏鲁胡·哈桑指责外国人煽动暴力，但至少有一个人权组织宣布这一指控“毫无根据”。

伊芙·桑普森是一名记者，也是一名前陆军军官。她曾报道过世界各地的冲突，为《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》和美联社撰稿。