'The Merchant Of Death' Viktor Bout Was Exchanged For WNBA Star Brittney Griner's Release, Here's His Background

On December 8, President Joe Biden announced that a deal had been reached in regard to WNBA star Brittney Griner's imprisonment in Russia. Griner was exchanged for the release of "The Merchant of Death," Viktor Bout, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Griner, 32, had been detained in Russia since February 2022, when she was caught with a marijuana vape pen in her luggage at an airport. After an expedited trial, the 32-year-old was sentenced to nine years in prison under grueling conditions.

To better understand the negotiations that secured Griner's return home, a closer look into "The Merchant of Death" is required.

Bout's crimes were so notorious that they even captivated Hollywood — and served as the inspiration for the film, Lord of War.

RadarOnline.com reported that an exchange of Griner for Bout was likely on the Kremlin's radar and that the professional basketball player was being used as a political prisoner for his release.

Born in Dushanbe, Soviet Tajikistan, Bout, 55, was fluent in several languages. He combined his multilingual skills with military training —which he obtained at a Moscow language institute that was known for training Kremlin intelligence officers — and served as a military translator for the Soviet Army.

From his extensive military background to the start of his criminal activity, the 55-year-old became a crucial asset to several nations and terrorist groups that toted a hostile history with the United States. His associated deals included agreements with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

The 55-year-old was convicted and sentenced to twenty-five years for arms dealing and conspiring with the Colombian Farc rebels to kill American civilians.

When the exchange deal was secured for Griner's release, Bout had 13 years left on his sentence. The conviction that led to his imprisonment at a Marion, Illinois prison was the tip of the iceberg in regard to his notorious dealings.

Over a six year period, from 1992 to 1998, Bout spearheaded one of the largest crimes in his extensive history. Bout stole $32 billion worth of weaponry from Ukraine. During that time period, his personal fleet of aircraft increased to a fleet of 60.

A year prior to Bout embarking on the Ukraine weaponry heist, Bout capitalized on the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The former military translator bought discounted and cheaply produced Soviet-made weaponry, which he sold to customers across Africa, Asia and South America.

Bout worked out of the UAE and used a fleet of Soviet-era aircraft, which he seized from abandoned air force bases, to export weaponry around the world to insurgents, warlords and other criminally-involved groups.

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Bout spoke to the New York Times in 2003 in regard to his involvement in illegal arms dealings.