DEA chases arms dealer

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By Richard S. Ehrlich

Newly obtained documents prepared by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describe an elaborate sting operation to capture purported weapons trafficker Viktor Bout in Bangkok and America's current appeal to extradite him to New York.

However, the documents, made public recently, do not confirm that Mr. Bout had access to the weapons or where the arms and ammunition were located.

Mr. Bout, a Russian citizen, has been dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for his long years as a purported international weapons dealer involved in both legal and illegal transfers.

The U.S. indictment says that when Mr. Bout was in Bangkok last year, he "agreed to provide the FARC [Colombian rebels] with millions of dollars' worth of weapons to be used, among other things, to kill nationals of the United States in Colombia," including "officers and employees of the United States" on "official duties."

U.S. Deputy Attorney General David Ogden said in Bangkok last month that he told Thai officials Mr. Bout "stands charged with extremely serious crimes against Americans."

The case against Mr. Bout appeared to fall apart in August when Bangkok's Criminal Court dropped all charges against him.

The Thai judge said Bangkok "does not have the authority to punish actions done by foreigners against other foreigners in another country."

The newly released documents are from America's appeal, which is winding its way through Thailand's justice system.

The documents do not deal with the previous judge's decision about Thai jurisdiction over foreigners and instead focus on efforts to have Mr. Bout extradited to the U.S.

Mr. Bout, 42, was arrested in March 2008 in a Bangkok hotel during a U.S.-led sting operation and remains incarcerated in a Bangkok prison.