New report says Viktor Bout agreed to sell Kalashnikov rifles to Yemeni Houthis, Israel’s enemies.

Viktor Bout, who was convicted in the U.S. for arms trafficking to 25 years and returned to Russia after spending more than ten years in an Illinois prison, is once again involved in arms trafficking.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited a European official and other sources familiar with Bout’s businesses, in August 2024, the man took part in negotiations held in Moscow to sell $10 million worth of Kalashnikov rifles to the Houthis, a rebel militia group in Yemen. The group is known for piracy in the Red Sea and rocket attacks on Israel. It is expected that shipments will begin in October, with the weapons arriving at the Yemeni port of Hodeidah disguised as food supplies.

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The publication describes Bout, who was exchanged for American basketball player Brittney Griner in December 2022, as a mediator in the deal.

He met with two Houthi representatives who came to Moscow pretending to be buyers of fertilizers and vehicles. It’s not clear whether the former convict masterminded the operation or was merely used as a frontman by Russian military or security officials.

The Houthis reportedly expressed interest in other types of Russian weaponry as well, including anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft systems, according to the WSJ sources.

In comments to Russian media, Viktor Bout – now a member of the Ulyanovsk regional assembly – called the WSJ article a "provocation timed for Vladimir Putin’s birthday" and an attempt to boost the publication’s poor rating.

Viktor Bout was arrested in March 2008, in Thailand’s capital Bangkok, where he was lured by U.S. intelligence pretending to be buyers of surface-to-air missiles for the Colombian terrorist organization FARC. Two years later, Bout was extradited to the United States, where he was charged with conspiracy to kill American citizens, providing material support to terrorists, illegal arms trafficking, and aiding unlawful armed groups.

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International media nicknamed Bout as the "Merchant of Death." In April 2012, a U.S. court sentenced Bout to 25 years in prison. He was found guilty on all counts.

In December 2022, Bout was exchanged for American basketball player Brittney Griner, who had been convicted in Russia on drug possession charges.

In 2005, New Zealand producer Andrew Niccol released the crime drama “Lord of War” with American actor Nicolas Cage starring as an arms trafficker; Viktor Bout was the prototype of the main character.

In August 2024, Russia and the West organized the largest prisoner swap after the World War Two, with Moscow returning home a bunch of convicted murderers and spies. 

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