Bout, a mustachioed Russian national and former Soviet army officer, was an equal-opportunity smuggler whose deliveries are alleged to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of Africans, Afghans and others. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced Wednesday that his government has had top-priority negotiations to release Griner and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine arrested in Moscow and convicted on questionable espionage charges in 2018. "We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release," Blinken told reporters. After many years trotting the globe as arguably the world's biggest arms trafficker, Bout was finally snared in a U.S. government sting operation in 2008. Pressure for the release of Griner — a star athlete and lesbian woman of color — has been intense.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 30, 2022 20:36 UTC