By: Evan Yang

Viktor Bout, an arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death,” has been in U.S. custody since 2008. His reputation makes it hard to tell which of his deals are real and which are legends. But now, he is part of a potential prisoner swap for an American basketball player and a former marine held in Russia.

The deal was made public in an effort to console the families of Brittney Griner, the basketball player, and Paul N. Whelan, the former marine. On the other side, Viktor Bout is thought to have been born in Tajikistan before serving in the Red Army as a translator. After the Soviet Union fractured, the new countries that were created had no way to keep track of inherited military equipment. Bout shipped these leftover weapons all over the world, from Congo to Sierra Leone. He was later arrested in a sting operation.

Some, however, are not satisfied with the trade. There are concerns that this will drive up the perceived value of the next American prisoner of war. Bout could start to distribute arms again.

Jeremy Bash, the Chief of Staff at the C.I.A says “As a general rule, we shouldn’t reward hostage takers with prisoner swaps as it only incentivizes hostage taking.”

There is intense pressure on the Biden administration to get both citizens home safely without losing too much. However, Bash had said in the past that the United States values its own citizens much more than any foreign criminal. Russia has not responded to the proposal.