1 year ago
88
- Viktor Bout is simply a Russian arms dealer.
- He was arrested successful 2008.
- He was released successful speech for Brittney Griner, who was imprisoned successful Russia connected cause charges.
Viktor Bout was released backmost to Russia successful a captive speech deal for Brittney Griner on Thursday, December 8. President Joe Biden announced that the WNBA player, 32, would beryllium returning home, and it was reported that the medication had negotiated her state successful speech for the arms dealer, 55, according to The Associated Press. The president announced that Brittney was connected a level returning to the United States, aft being arrested connected cause charges successful February.
In a property league announcing that Brittney had been released, Biden did not code that the U.S. had secured her state by exchanging Bout. Despite the trade, the president admitted that the medication was not capable to unafraid different American Paul Whelan’s release from Russia. “Sadly, for wholly illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s lawsuit otherwise from Brittney’s, and portion we person not yet succeeded successful securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We volition not springiness up,” helium said. Find retired everything you request to cognize astir the arms trader here.
Bout had been sentenced to 25 years successful situation earlier his exchange. (ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA)Bout is an Arms Dealer, Nicknamed ‘The Merchant of Death’
Bout had agelong been a wanted arms trader for illegally spreading guns each implicit the world. He would bring surplus weapons to countries successful Africa, South America, and the Middle East. During his clip arsenic a dealer, helium would usage antithetic aliases and passports to question seamlessly. He was fixed his infamous nickname “The Merchant of Death” successful 2003, by UK Foreign Minister Peter Hain, per BBC. He was besides the taxable of a 2007 publication titled aft his nickname.
He was successful the Russian subject and began illegally selling weapons successful the 90s
Bout has denied that helium was an arms dealer, and his now-defunct website revealed that helium was a Lieutenant translator successful the Soviet Union army, earlier helium began selling weapons. It is believed that helium began trading a surplus craft successful Africa successful 1993, aft suggesting that helium articulation the “active reserves,” according to The Economist. He became well-known aft reportedly moving with now-convicted warlord Charles Taylor in arming revolutionaries.
Bout was released successful speech for Brittney Griner. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP/Shutterstock)He was arrested successful 2008
After galore years of traveling the globe and selling weapons, Bout was arrested successful a sting cognition by the U.S. successful 2008. He was lured to a league country successful a Bangkok edifice to negociate an arms woody with 2 radical helium believed to beryllium from the Colombian insurgent radical FARC, but were DEA operatives from the U.S. He was arrested and tried successful a Thai tribunal and extradited to the States successful 2010.
He was recovered blameworthy successful the United States successful 2011
When Bout was sent to the U.S., helium was tried for conspiring to termination Americans arsenic good arsenic conspiring to usage and anti-aircraft missile, ligament fraud, wealth laundering, and the amerciable acquisition of an aircraft. He was recovered blameworthy successful 2011, and the pursuing year, helium was sentenced to 25 years successful prison. Bout denied the crimes connected his website. Prosecutors focused connected his clip supplying weapons to FARC, per CNN. “Viktor Bout has been planetary arms trafficking force fig 1 for galore years, arming immoderate of the astir convulsive conflicts astir the globe,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said astatine the time. “He was yet brought to justness successful an American tribunal for agreeing to supply a staggering fig of military-grade weapons to an avowed violent enactment committed to sidesplitting Americans.”
Bout has been portrayed successful movies and TV shows
Bout’s story, arsenic good arsenic depictions of his arrest, person popped up successful assorted forms of media implicit the years. The documentary series Damian Lewis: Spy Wars and Manhunt: Kill oregon Capture both person episodes focusing connected Bout. The 2005 film Lord of War was reportedly inspired by Bout. The movie starred Nicolas Cage playing an arms trader who “confronts the morality of his enactment arsenic helium is being chased by an INTERPOL Agent,” according to IMDb.
Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get the hottest celeb news.
English (US) ·