Viktor Bout, the notorious Russian arms dealer released in a prisoner exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, is now attempting to broker arms deals with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Bout, 57, is known as the “Merchant of Death” and now serves as a local politician in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party. He has reportedly returned to the arms trade as well, negotiating with Houthi representatives who visited Moscow in August to purchase some $10 million worth of small arms.
While the shipment has not been delivered, an arms deal between Moscow and the Houthis – a U.S.-designated terrorist group – represents an escalation of tensions by Putin.
There have been widespread concerns about retaliation by Russia after President Biden’s administration approved Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons in offensive attacks within Russia.
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Member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) Viktor Bout poses during the opening of an art exhibition in Moscow on March 7, 20213. Bout was serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison when he was exchanged in Abu Dhabi for American basketball star Brittney Griner.
Steve Zissou, a New York attorney who represented Bout in the U.S., compared the rumored arms deal to America’s own shipments of weapons across the globe.
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“Viktor Bout has not been in the transportation business for over twenty years,” Zissou told the Journal. “But if the Russian government authorized him to facilitate the transfer of arms to one of America’s adversaries, it would be no different than the U.S. government sending arms and weapons of mass destruction to one of Russia’s adversaries as it has sent to Ukraine.”
Putin condemned the U.S. for approving Ukraine to use Western weapons in attacks within Russia. ((Photo by Contributor/Getty Images))
Bout had already served 12 years of his 25-year sentence at the time of his release in December 2022.
Last year, Bout compared his sentence in the U.S. to Griner’s sentence in his homeland, saying it was “the same outrage … in Russia when I was sentenced to 25 years.”
“Many people would say ‘for what? Just for talking? Are you serious?’” Bout said in an interview with ESPN. “There is not even a proper translation to Russian of the term of conspiracy. We don’t have such, even the legal term. So, this is the same kind of outrage in Russia about my case and about many other cases.”
Brittney Griner went on to win gold for the U.S. women’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics, roughly two years after her release. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
He went on to describe the prisoner exchange, saying he had a moment to greet Griner during the event.
“So, they put the two planes together, give us some instruction, went down, and here you are,” Bout said. “Somebody showed up from Russian side saying, ‘Hi, is everything fine?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ So he identified me, and then couple minutes afterwards, the exchange literally happened.”
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“Admittedly, I was a little shocked seeing her without her signature braids. She was way taller than me. I just shake the hand, I said to her, ‘I wish you good luck.’ And we both went to our planes,” he said.
