Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer released by the Biden administration nearly two years ago in exchange for U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, is now selling weapons to Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death," met with Houthi representatives in Moscow in August under the guise of purchasing pesticides and vehicles to negotiate a $10 million deal for automatic weapons, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Houthis, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, have repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks against Israel and terrorized Israeli commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The Biden administration faced intense scrutiny in December 2022 after agreeing to swap Bout for Griner, a WNBA star who had been arrested in Russia on drug charges. Critics say that the deal favored Moscow by releasing a high-value prisoner while failing to secure the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine detained in Russia since 2018 on espionage charges.
The first two shipments to the Houthis will primarily consist of AK-74s and could start as early as this month, individuals familiar with the matter told the Journal. Houthi representatives also expressed interest in Kornet anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft weapons. It remains unclear whether Bout’s deal with the Houthis came explicitly at the Kremlin’s behest or simply had its tacit approval.
Bout sold Soviet-made weapons for decades in Africa, South America, and the Middle East before U.S. federal agents arrested him in 2008 for conspiring to kill Americans and sell weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. In 2012, Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan defended the Biden administration’s prisoner swap at the time, saying the administration "can manage those challenges" associated with Bout’s release and that "there is no shortage of arms traffickers and mercenaries in Russia."