"Merchant of death" Viktor Bout, released by Biden-Harris two years ago, sells weapons to Houthi terrorists

After fifteen years in prison for arms trafficking, Viktor Bout (57) is now a Russian politician and frequent television commentator. He broadcasts opinions such as that the West is, "simply," committing suicide. The merchant of death sometimes presents himself as an arms expert according to a recent report, although those close to him claim he hasn't been active for years.

On paper, he was getting a fresh start on life. However, a recent Wall Street Journal investigation shows that Bout is back in the ring. In August, on paper, he appeared to be meeting with two traders interested in pesticides and vehicles. However, he was actually shaking hands with two Houthis who wanted to buy $10 million of automatic weapons.

The international trafficker was convicted in 2011 of conspiring to sell weapons to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorists. He was caught four years earlier in an undercover operation in Thailand when he unknowingly tried to sell his deadly products to an undercover agent. His 25-year sentence was cut in half when the Biden-Harris administration decided to release him in exchange for Brittney Griner, a basketball player arrested ten months earlier in Russia for drug possession.

The prosecutors who had Bout convicted claimed that the weapons he was trying to sell to FARC would have been used on American lives. In the words of the then DEA administrator: "Viktor Bout profited by arming lawless men with weapons of war, and cared nothing for the potential harm to innocent Americans.” If the WSJ information is true, Bout may be putting American lives at risk again.

The Houthis are a Yemeni terrorist group that, after the start of the war in Gaza, began firing on Israel in support of Hamas, as well as on international merchant ships in the Red Sea and then on American forces stationed in the region. Earlier this year they fired a missile at a U.S. destroyer. Just a few days ago, they claimed to have shot down a military drone. In January, two SEAL team members disappeared off the coast of Somalia during an operation to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles that Iran was delivering to the group.

According to the Post, Bout reportedly negotiated the sale of AK-74s. He also discussed the sale of other types of weaponry, such as anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft weapons. These could start arriving in Yemen between arms deliveries in October, according to sources consulted by the newspaper.

A controversial swap

The decision to release Bout was controversial, not only because of reports about his clientele, which include warlords and governments in Africa, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, but also because he would likely return to the lucrative trafficking business.

Among the critics is the DEA agent who oversaw the investigation into Bout. "To make that exchange [means], all Americans are at greater risk with international travel," Derek Maltz argued in an interview with ABC News. "DEA was asked to help take this guy down because he was such a national security threat [...] We at the DEA were just trying to step up to the plate and do the right thing for national security."

Another controversial issue was that in negotiating the exchange, the government left out American prisoners who had been behind bars longer, such as former Marine Paul Whelan and teacher Marc Fogel. Critics of the administration argued that Griner had been chosen over others because of her race and sexuality.

Bout has always denied the allegations against him.