Could the US Get Brittney Griner in Exchange for the ‘Merchant of Death'?

The U.S. government set up an elaborate operation in 2008 to capture and prosecute Viktor Bout

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NBCUniversal Media, LLC American basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty Thursday to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

In the 2005 Nicolas Cage movie “Lord of War,” the character loosely based on Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout evades his American law enforcement pursuers, apparently saved by the CIA.

But in real life, the U.S. government set up an elaborate operation in 2008 to capture and prosecute Bout, dubbed “the Merchant of Death,” because he was said to be one of the world’s largest illicit arms dealers.

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Now, his U.S. lawyer says, Moscow wants to exchange him for an American held in Russia — possibly basketball star Brittney Griner.

The potential exchange has sparked a debate over whether the U.S. should give in to blackmail, given the disparity between the case of Bout, who was lawfully convicted of serious crimes, and Griner, who is considered by U.S. officials to be a hostage.

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WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested and detained in Russia on Feb. 17. Here is a timeline of events that led to her arrest and what has happened since.

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