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Viktor Bout, arrested Wednesday in Bangkok, was charged with conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons -- including surface-to-air missiles -- to Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Justice Department said Thursday.
The indictment alleges that Bout and associate Andrew Smulian agreed to sell to FARC millions of dollars worth of weapons. During recorded telephone calls and e-mails, Bout and Smulian agreed to sell the weapons to two confidential sources working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration who presented themselves as FARC representatives.
The U.S. plans to pursue the extradition of Bout from Thailand, the department said. "Viktor Bout and Andrew Smulian agreed to arm terrorists with high-powered weapons that have fueled some of the most violent conflicts in recent memory," said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia.
Michele M. Leonhart, acting DEA administrator, said Bout's arrest resulted from DEA working with his partner. "This arms trafficker was poised to arm a narco-terrorist organization, but he now faces justice in the United States," Leonhart said.