Russian arms merchant Viktor Anatolyevich Bout, better known as Viktor Bout. He is also a businessman and a former Soviet military translator who smuggled weapons through his firms.
For nearly two decades, Viktor gained notoriety as the most notorious arms dealer in the world by selling weapons to despotic governments, insurgent groups, and brutal warlords in Africa, Asia, and South America.
His notoriety was so widespread that it served as the basis for the Nicolas Cage–starring Hollywood film Lord of War. Bout was incarcerated at Marion’s United States Penitentiary prior to his release.
What Did Viktor Bout Do After His Arrest and Charge?
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Viktor Bout, commonly known as “the merchant of death,” was detained on terrorism-related accusations by the Royal Thai Police on March 6, 2008, in Thailand.
The extradition of the arms dealer was requested by the American ambassador to Thailand, Eric G. John, in accordance with the Extradition Act with Thailand. In August 2010, the Thai High Court ordered that he be turned over.
In order for the weapons to be deployed against American soldiers in Colombia, Viktor Bout was charged with wanting to sell them to a U.S. DEA informant who was disguising himself as a member of the Revolutionary Armed soldiers of Colombia (FARC).
He contested the charges anyway and looked forward to being let go. For a number of violations related to his prior history of trading in weapons, a U.S. judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison in 2012.
His case has always been viewed as an egregious injustice, and his native nation has consistently defended his innocence and fought for his release.
Viktor Bout, Who Is He?
On January 13, 1967, Viktor Bout was born in Dushanbe, Soviet Tajikistan. He speaks numerous languages well.
He has a wife and children and is married. According to rumors, Viktor Bout’s wife is Alla Bout. Elizaveta Viktorovna Bout, the child of the couple, was born.
The Military Institute of Foreign Languages is where he received his diploma. The arms trader also held the rank of lieutenant while serving as a translator in the Soviet Armed Forces in Angola.
Later, Angola took on a crucial role in Viktor’s business. Bout’s major accomplishment took place in the years following the demise of the Soviet Union in 1989–1991.
He used a surprising abundance of abandoned Soviet-era munitions at the time to foment a series of genocidal civil wars in Asia, Africa, and other regions.
In the United Arab Emirates, the merchant of death acquired a squadron of over 60 obsolete Soviet military aircraft. As a result, he distributed his goods all over the world as the Soviet Union’s massive air fleet started to disintegrate.
A biography titled “Merchant of Death: Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible” was written by Viktor Bout in 2007.
Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout Exchange Prisoners
As previously noted, the Russian arms dealer was released in exchange for Brittney Griner, an athlete. The Russian national was incarcerated for 14 years.
In February 2022, the basketball player Griner was detained for having hashish oil at a Moscow airport.
Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, reportedly stated on Thursday that Brittney Griner had been released as part of what Russia claimed to be a deal for Viktor Bout.
The American president tweeted that Griner was safe and in route to her home country. Viktor also appears to have traveled back to his native nation.
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