Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, issued the following statement after learning that international arms merchant Viktor Bout is being extradited by Thailand to face terrorism charges in the United States.

"At times it felt as if Bout would slip away, so this is a huge victory. It may not have been pretty, but it counts as a big win," said Royce, referring to the more than two year up and down legal struggle.

"Many dedicated individuals in the U.S. and Thailand worked diligently for this day to come. The man who armed terrorists and warlords across the globe is out of the game.

"Bout now gets to have a fair trial. That is more than the victims of his trade got.

"I appreciate that the Thai government did the right thing, by honoring the U.S. extradition request."

Royce spearheaded congressional efforts to see that Viktor Bout was extradited to the United States. In August, on the eve of a crucial court hearing, Royce led a congressional letter to the Thai government, pressing for Bout’s extradition. In addition, Royce authored an op-ed which appeared in the Washington Post, calling for stepped up U.S. engagement to see that Bout was not set free. The August ruling by the Thai court set the stage for today’s action.

Prior to his arrest, Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," fueled many brutal civil wars on the African continent and elsewhere through the illicit sale of arms, breaking international arms embargos. Former Liberian president Charles Taylor relied on Bout to arm his reign of terror in West Africa, violently suppressing opposition to his corrupt rule in Liberia and arming allies in neighboring countries. In Afghanistan, Bout simultaneously armed the Taliban and the Northern Alliance and he has links to international terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and al-Shabaab.

Reportedly, Bout is expected to arrive in New York Tuesday evening and be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Wednesday.

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