The group included Ukrainian military and government officials, who are always in the market for explosive shells to lob at invading Russian soldiers.
And joining the group was a stout, bearded man who served both the buyers and sellers: Vladimir Koyfman, a chief sergeant in the Ukrainian military whom Mr. Morales pays to arrange meetings with his government contacts.
That unusual arrangement, legal experts say, tests the boundaries of American and Ukrainian corruption laws prohibiting payments to government officials.
The administration has sent Ukraine more than $40 billion in security aid, including advanced weapons like HIMARS rockets and Patriot missiles.
But the Pentagon also relies heavily on little-known arms dealers like Mr. Morales, who have the connections needed to secure ammunition, much of it lower-quality or Soviet-caliber, from around the world.
Persons:
Marc Morales, Vladimir Koyfman, Morales, Biden
Organizations:
Patriot, Pentagon
Locations:
Florida, Ukraine