Viktor Anatolyevich Bout was the world’s most well-known arms dealer until he was indicted and sentenced to jail in Illinois in 2011. Bout was named the Merchant of Death and Sanctions Buster due to his purported broad operations, large clients, and willingness to circumvent embargoes. In the United States, he is currently serving a 25-year jail sentence on accusations of planning to kill Americans, acquiring and exporting anti-aircraft missiles, and providing material support to a terrorist group. Come down to know more about Viktor Bout wife, daughter, wedding, family, net worth and many more:
Who is Viktor Bout? His Parents, Family, Ethnicity
Viktor Anatolyevich Bout is a Russian arms dealer. He was an entrepreneur and former Soviet military translator who purportedly used his many air transport companies to smuggle weapons from Eastern Europe to Africa and the Middle East when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s and early 2000s. Bout was dubbed the Merchant of Death and Sanctions Buster due to his purported broad operations, extensive clients, and willingness to circumvent embargoes.
Viktor Bout’s origins are unknown, except that United Nations documents and About himself both indicate his birthplace as Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, USSR (now the capital of Tajikistan), and that his birthday is most likely 13 January 1967, but several other dates are possible. Bout was listed as being of Ukrainian ethnicity in a South African intelligence file from 2001.
Who is Viktor Bout wife Alla Bout? Wedding & Daughter
Viktor Bout is a married man and father of a daughter.Viktor Bout wife Alla Bout is best known as the wife of the well-known Russian arms trader Viktor Bout. Alla Bout was born in 1970 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Alla and Viktor Bout have been married since 1992, and their bond remains strong. Elizaveta Bout is the couple’s only child.
Alla and her daughter Elizaveta saw Viktor Bout for the first time in seven years in 2019, following his conviction in 2012. Alla chose to stay in the United States for a few weeks in order to continue visiting her husband behind bars. However, he departed the United States and now resides in Moscow, Russia.
Why is he serving a 25-year prison sentence in Illinois, United States?
Bout was arrested in Thailand on terrorism charges on March 6, 2008, by the Royal Thai Police in collaboration with American authorities and INTERPOL, and US Ambassador to Thailand Eric G. John requested his extradition under Thailand’s Extradition Act, which was eventually mandated by the Thai High Court in August 2010.
Bout was charged with attempting to transport weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for use against US forces in Colombia, but he disputed the charges and anticipated his acquittal. Viktor was convicted by a jury in a Manhattan federal court on November 2, 2011, of conspiracy to assassinate US citizens and officials, delivery of anti-aircraft missiles, and providing aid to a terrorist group, and sentenced to 25 years in jail. Bout has been incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Marion, since June 2012.
His Military career
Bout served in the Soviet Armed Forces, but nothing is known about his military experience other than the fact that he graduated from the Military Institute of Foreign Languages. Bout’s education enabled him to become a polyglot, speaking six languages: Russian, Portuguese, English, French, Arabic, and Farsi (Persian). He is said to be fluent in Esperanto, which he learnt at the age of 12 as a member of the Dushanbe Esperanto club in the early 1980s. Bout’s personal website indicated that he was a translator in the Soviet Army and held the rank of lieutenant.
Bout is thought to have been discharged from the Soviet Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel upon its dissolution in 1991, after which he started an air freight business, but other sources claim he was a major in the GRU, an officer in the Soviet Air Forces, a graduate of a Soviet military intelligence training program, or a KGB operative.
Bout participated in a Soviet military operation in Angola in the late 1980s, aiding the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the Angolan Civil War, however he claims he was only there for a few weeks.
Why did Russia Offer prisoner exchange with basketball player Brittney Griner?
A Forbes article published in May 2022 alleged that the Biden administration provided Bout in return for the release of Women’s National Basketball Association player Brittney Griner. Griner was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport by Federal Security Service personnel on what would be minor narcotics charges in the United States, but for which she faced 5-10 years in prison. President Joe Biden added his support to the initiative in July 2022. CNN reported on July 27th that the United States has offered to swap Bout for both Griner and Whelan.