Background on Bout

In the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Bout became a
notorious international arms dealer, selling Soviet-made weaponry in Africa
(including Angola and Sierra Leone, as well as Liberia under Charles Taylor), in
Asia (including to the Taliban), and in South America; his customers included
warlords, rogue states, and insurgent groups in war zones.[6][7] A 2002 Interpol
warrant was issued against Bout by Belgium for money laundering,[8] after it was
issued, and amid international pressure increasing, Bout fled to Moscow, where he
lived in safety and was protected by Russian authorities.[8][7]

U.S. criminal charges, arrest in Thailand, and extradition to U.S.

Viktor Bout in the custody of DEA agents on November 16, 2010, after being
extradited to the United States
Bout was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand on March 6, 2008, after being the target of
a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation, in which U.S. agents,
claiming to represent the Colombian rebel group FARC, negotiated with Bout for the
supply of 100 9K38 Igla surface-to-air missiles and armor-piercing rocket launchers
to be airdropped by Bout to agreed landing spots in Colombia. The imposters invited
Bout to Thailand to meet their leader.[6][9][10] U.S. prosecutors and law
enforcement were aided by Andrew Smulian, a former South African intelligence agent
and associate of Bout who acted as a go-between and became an informer against
Bout.[6][11]

After his arrest by Royal Thai Police in March 2008, based on an Interpol red
notice requested by the U.S.,[12] Bout and the Russian government fought against
Bout's extradition to the United States, but the Thai courts ultimately ruled (in
2010) that he could be extradited to face trial in U.S. federal court.[13][14][15]
[16] On November 16, 2010, Bout was extradited from Thailand to the United States
amid protests by the Russian government, who deemed it illegal.[17][18][19]