Russia’s merchant of death resumes weapons business to support Houthis: WSJ report

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, infamously known as the “Merchant of Death,” has reportedly returned to the arms trade, with plans to broker sales of small arms to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Bout, now 57, was released in a December 2022 prisoner exchange involving U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner. Over his two-decade criminal career, Bout allegedly supplied weapons to both rebel groups and legitimate governments in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In August, Bout reportedly met with two Houthi representatives in Moscow to discuss the purchase of $10 million worth of automatic weapons, WSJ reported, citing a European security official and other sources familiar with the situation.

It remains unclear if these negotiations were conducted under the Kremlin’s direction or with its implicit approval. WSJ also noted it could not confirm the origin of the proposed arms supply.

According to the report, the initial deliveries are expected to consist mainly of AK-74 assault rifles, but the Houthis are also said to have expressed interest in acquiring Kornet anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft weaponry.

The arms shipments could begin as soon as October, potentially arriving at Yemen’s Hodeidah port, a location where Russia has previously delivered grain, allegedly under the guise of humanitarian aid, WSJ’s sources suggested.

While the potential transfer of these arms—should they go through—would not drastically impact U.S. efforts to safeguard international shipping lanes from Houthi attacks, Washington remains firmly opposed to any arms deals with the group, which it classifies as a terrorist organization.

Earlier this year, U.S. intelligence suggested that Russia might provide advanced anti-ship missiles to the Houthis in response to U.S. support for Ukraine, though no such deliveries have been confirmed, nor is there evidence that Bout is involved in these specific transactions.

Steve Zissou, Bout’s U.S.-based lawyer, refused to comment on whether his client had met with the Houthis but stated: “Viktor Bout has not been involved in the transportation business for over 20 years.

However, if the Russian government authorized him to facilitate an arms deal with one of America’s adversaries, it would be no different from the U.S. supplying arms to Ukraine, one of Russia’s adversaries.”