Viktor Anatolyevich Bout is 55 years old as of 2022.
Viktor Bout celebrates his birthday every January 13. He was born on January 13, 1967 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The Russian arms dealer Viktor Anatolyevich Bout is an entrepreneur and former Soviet military translator.
Bout reportedly used his multiple air transport companies to smuggle weapons since the collapse of the Soviet Union from Eastern Europe to Africa and the Middle East in the 1990s and early 2000s.
He was nicknamed the Merchant of Death and Sanctions Buster for his reported wide-reaching operations, extensive clientele, and willingness to bypass embargoes.
On March 6, 2008, Bout was arrested in Thailand on terrorism charges by the Royal Thai Police in cooperation with American authorities, and the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Eric G. John requested his extradition under the Extradition Act with Thailand, which was ultimately mandated by the Thai High Court in August 2010.
Bout was accused of intending to smuggle arms to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for use against U.S. forces in Colombia, but denied his charges and predicted an acquittal.
On November 2, 2011, Bout was convicted by a jury in a Manhattan federal court of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and officials, delivering anti-aircraft missiles, and providing aid to a terrorist organization, and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.
Viktor Bout has been held at the United States Penitentiary, Marion since June 2012.
In May 2022, a Forbes article revealed the Biden administration had offered Bout in exchange for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner, and the proposal got further support from President Joe Biden in July 2022.
According to a CNN report on July 27, the U.S. had offered to exchange Bout for both Griner and Whelan.