Russian Arms Dealer And Putin Ally Viktor Bout, Exchanged For Brittney Griner, Resumes Gun Trafficking

Viktor Bout, the notorious Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the U.S. and swapped in December 2022 for WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was jailed in Moscow for cannabis possession, appears to be back in the gun trafficking business, or perhaps he never left it.

According to an exclusive report by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, citing an unnamed European security source and other anonymous informants, Bout is attempting to broker the sale of small arms to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants. A personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bout’s connections raise concerns about his renewed involvement in global arms trafficking. A former KGB officer, Bout is known as “the Merchant of Death.”

The reported deal excludes larger Russian weapons like anti-ship or anti-air missiles, which could threaten U.S. military operations in the region. However, the arms transfer is not yet finalized, and independent verification of the claims remains unavailable, according to the outlet.

Read Also: Oil Surges On 1-Year Hamas Attack Anniversary As Israel Mulls Iran Retaliation

Bout’s Lawyer Says No, But…

"Viktor Bout has not been in the transportation business for over twenty years," said Steve Zissou, the New York attorney who represented Bout in the U.S. "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."

The WSJ reported that Zissou declined to discuss whether his client had met with the Houthis and a Houthi spokesman also refused to comment.

Most Wanted Arms Trafficker

Since returning to Russia after the Griner prisoner swap, Bout maintained a low profile while aligning himself with the Kremlin-backed ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party.

Before his 2008 arrest, Bout was one of the world’s most notorious arms traffickers, supplying weapons to rogue nations and rebel groups across Africa, Asia and South America for nearly two decades.

His infamy became such that his life inspired the 2005 Hollywood film “Lord of War,” starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout.

Now Read:

• Would Bitcoin Drop If A War In The Middle East Breaks Out? Yes, But There’s A Catch

Photo of Bout and Griner by Wikimedia Commons