Viktor Bout, the infamous Russian arms dealer who was released in a prisoner exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, is now reportedly trying to negotiate arms deals with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Bout, 57, also known as the “Merchant of Death,” is currently serving as a local politician in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party. He has allegedly re-entered the arms trade by engaging in negotiations with Houthi representatives who visited Moscow in August to purchase approximately $10 million worth of small arms.
Although the delivery of the shipment has not occurred yet, a potential arms deal between Moscow and the Houthis – considered a terrorist group by the U.S. – could heighten tensions initiated by Putin.
Concerns have arisen regarding potential retaliation by Russia following President Biden’s administration’s approval for Ukraine to utilize Western-supplied weapons in offensive actions against 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., drew a comparison between the rumored arms deal and America’s global arms shipments.
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“Viktor Bout has not been in the transportation business for over twenty years,” Zissou informed 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))
At the time of his release in December 2022, Bout had already served 12 years of his 25-year sentence.
Last year, Bout equated his U.S. sentence to Griner’s sentence in Russia, stating that 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 expressed 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 proceeded to recount the prisoner exchange, mentioning that he had a brief interaction with Griner during the event.
“So, they put the two planes together, give us some instruction, went down, and here you are,” Bout recounted. “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 shared.
