Brittney Griner, the American basketball player, detained in Russia, could be brought home in a prisoner exchange with a notorious arms dealer, Tass reported.
Griner, 31, has been in custody since February after Russian officials found vape cartridges alleged to contain hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Her charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
A source told Tass that talks are currently underway to exchange the WNBA player for Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms trafficker nicknamed "the Merchant of Death."
Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the US, and in 2012 he was sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to smuggle weapons to rebels in Colombia to be used against US officials and citizens.
After Bout's arrest in Thailand, the US alleged that his Russian allies tried to bribe witnesses to give false testimony in an attempt to prevent his extradition. Russia said at the time that Thailand's decision to extradite Bout was politically motivated.
Russia has long lobbied for Bout's return, and some reports have suggested he has links to high-profile Russian officials and its intelligence agencies.
Ever since his conviction, Russian media has often linked him to potential prisoner swaps with jailed Americans, but none have materialized.
At a hearing on Friday, Griner's detention was extended by at least a month. The US says that Griner is being wrongfully detained.
An expert recently told Insider that Griner could be brought home in a prisoner exchange similar to the one that freed fellow American detainee Trevor Reed.
