The Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death,” who was released two years ago in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, is now back in business selling arms to the Houthi rebels attacking Israel and merchant ships in the Middle East, according to a new report.
Viktor Bout, 57, allegedly brokered a $10 million deal in August to supply the Yemen-based terror group with automatic weapons, including AK-47 rifles, people familiar with the deal told the Wall Street Journal.
The sources, however, said the deal included talks that could very well open the door to missile purchases that threaten Israel, as well as America’s efforts to protect the region.
The alleged deal came together when Houthi operatives traveled to Moscow over the summer posing as merchants set to buy pesticides and vehicles, according to the WSJ.
While there, the Houthis were allegedly greeted by Bout’s familiar face — he became a Russian lawmaker last year following his release from prison.
As they secured automatic weapons from the infamous arms dealer, who inspired the 2005 Nicolas Cage movie “Lord of War,” the Houthi representatives allegedly discussed future deals with Russia.
Those deals included the sale of Kornet anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft weapons, a European security official told the WSJ.
It remains unclear if Bout conducted the deal as an official duty with the Kremlin and if a missile deal has already been secured.
Such a deal would complicate US Navy efforts in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where the Houthis have launched regular attacks on American military ships and trading vessels navigating one of the world’s busiest trade routes.
The Houthis have also begun launching ballistic missiles at Israel, in solidarity with Hamas, with their latest attack coming on Monday.
No trade has been recorded between the Houthis and Moscow yet, but WSJ reported that deliveries of the automatic weapons could start as early as October.
Bout has denied any involvement in trade deals with the Houthis, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed the WSJ report as “fake news.”
Steve Zissou, a New York attorney who represented Bout in the US, declined to comment on the matter but claimed that it would be justified if Bout was indeed ordered to do so by the Kremlin.
Zissou described the potential transaction as the same thing the US is doing by arming Ukraine.
Bout had spent decades selling Russian weapons across the world before he was arrested by US agents in 2008.
He was released in December 2022 in exchange for Griner, who was imprisoned in Russia after Moscow officials found her carrying a cannabis vape cartridge in her luggage.
Critics slammed the one-to-one deal as one that favored Moscow and freed a criminal serving a 25-year sentence for conspiracy to kill Americans.
National Security adviser Jake Sullivan defended the decision at the time, claiming the US had properly vetted Bout’s risk assessment.
The National Security Council has yet to comment on Bout’s alleged return to the arms trade business.
