Intelligence Detective Gary Jenkins interviews retired ATF agent Ignacio Esteban about his book on the infamous Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. We learned that in March of 2008, Bangkok, Thailand authorities arrested Bout as he left a Bancock hotel after DEA agents and informants engaged in a recorded negotiation for weapons. Colombian FARC informants agreed to make a deal with Bout for millions in military-grade weapons. This arrest was the culmination of a DEA sting operation using high-ranking members of Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia or FARC, a Communist-leaning band of rebels in the jungles of Colombia SA.  Agent Esteban has written many books on aspects of organized crime, and the most recent is Viktor Bout – The World’s Most Notorious Arms Dealer. 

Viktor Bout was a shadowy international arms dealer since the fall of the old USSR. He quickly adapted to the chaos in Russia and started selling military weapons to rebel groups in Africa. From here, he gained a notorious reputation and was soon selling arms worldwide. He was an international man of mystery who lived on the run, was close to his crews, spoke many languages, and enjoyed the protection of the KGB and Putin since he rose to the head of the Russian government.

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