Putin's "Merchant of Death," who was released as part of a prisoner exchange for WNBA player Britney Griner in 2022, is back to his old ways.
"He is back in business, trying to broker the sale of small arms to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants," the Wall Street Journal reports. "When Houthi emissaries went to Moscow in August to negotiate the purchase of $10 million worth of automatic weapons, they encountered a familiar face: the mustachioed Bout, according to a European security official and other people familiar with the matter."
At the time of his release, the White House downplayed the threat and consequence of releasing Bout. Biden National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan argued the risk could be "managed."
"Before we make any determination about whether to send somebody back as part of a deal to get an American home, we make a determination about the national security implications of that. We did that assessment in this case. We believe we can manage those challenges, but we will remain constantly vigilant against any threat that Viktor Bout may pose to Americans, to the United States going forward," Sullivan told reporters during a briefing on December 12, 2022.
"We also, I would just point out that there is no shortage of arms traffickers and mercenaries in Russia who pose challenges and threats to the international order, to the United States and otherwise, and we are vigilant about that as well, which is why we have built, alongside our allies and partners, such a robust policy in dealing with the threats posed by Russia," he continued.
Former Trump National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien is weighing.
This situation is precisely why President Trump refused to trade convicted criminal and arms dealer Viktor Bout for an innocent American hostage. https://t.co/qyBBVWM4IA
— Robert C. O'Brien (@robertcobrien) October 7, 2024