How is he incredibly dangerous?! He was one of the most prolific arms dealers in the world. He still has all of his knowledge, his contacts, and probably expanded his criminal network while in prison. But don’t take my word for it, listen to a veteran national security corespondent for Newsweek and Time.

“Braun disagrees with those who argue that Bout is a has-been, that his network has frayed and his business model collapsed. If anything, Braun says, Bout has probably made valuable contacts over the nearly dozen years he has spent in the U.S. prison system.

“Anyone who thinks he’s washed up and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is not going to push him back into service, it’s beyond me,” Braun said. “People who believe that don’t understand how the real underworld works.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/12/12/viktor-bout-merchant-of-death-00073422