meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Gangland Wire

Viktor Bout – Arms Dealer

Gangland Wire

Gary Jenkins: Mafia Detective

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.6623 Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2022

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwireClick here to “buy me a cup of coffee” To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup  click here To rent Brothers against Brothers, the documentary, click here.  To rent Gangland Wire, the documentary, click here To buy my Kindle book, Leaving Vegas: The True Story of How FBI Wiretaps Ended Mob Domination of Las Vegas Casinos. To subscribe on iTunes click here, please give me a review and help others find the podcast.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

What have the last two and a half years been like for you?

0:03.6

Why do the Americans want you so badly?

0:06.1

No, it has them.

0:07.2

Go and ask me first.

0:12.1

This is Fenton and you can explain why they mean.

0:15.9

I don't know.

0:16.4

I can go to.

0:18.0

Well, welcome all your wiretappers out there.

0:19.9

Back here, it's going to be a special bonus episode.

0:23.1

Got my friend Ignacio Esteban on the line here, on the Zoom call.

0:29.0

And we were talking recently, and this Victor Bout had hit the headlines.

0:33.6

And I said, who is this guy?

0:35.9

Well, you know, Ignacio's an ATF agent. This guy's a gun dealer.

0:41.3

Let's ask Ignacio Esteban about it. And he was writing a book. So welcome, Ignacio.

0:48.4

Oh, Gary. It's a pleasure to be back. I enjoy being on your show every time.

0:52.3

Good. Great. Now, Victor Bout, I noticed as I kind of glanced over his, I didn't really study him out real close.

1:00.5

I noticed that DEA was working a case when they ended up getting him, but he was, he was a big-time gun dealer.

1:06.5

And I imagine he, ATF, knew all about him at some point in time.

1:10.6

For sure. Tell us a little more about this guy.

1:13.9

Yeah, he's definitely an interesting character.

1:16.2

I mean, and even his, where he was born, we know he's born in the Soviet Union, right?

1:21.2

Born in the late 60s.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Gary Jenkins: Mafia Detective, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Gary Jenkins: Mafia Detective and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.