Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding has been charged with leading a large drug trafficking organization responsible for shipping massive amounts of cocaine across the Americas, along with being involved in the murders of four people, according to U.S. authorities. The FBI has placed a $50,000 bounty for information leading to the capture and extradition of Wedding, who is currently considered a fugitive. The 43-year-old Canadian citizen, who had been residing in Mexico, is charged in the U.S. with running a criminal enterprise, murder, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and other serious offenses.
Wedding’s drug trafficking operation reportedly moved significant amounts of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and California to various destinations in Canada and the United States. U.S. prosecutors claim the organization used long-haul semi-trucks to transport the drugs. Wedding, along with 15 others, was implicated in the conspiracy, which allegedly smuggled up to 60 tons of cocaine per year. Four of the accused, including Wedding, remain at large, stated U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada at a press conference in Los Angeles. “He chose to become a major drug trafficker and he chose to become a killer,” Estrada emphasized.
FBI Special Agent Krysti Hawkins revealed that 12 individuals have already been arrested in various locations, including Florida, Michigan, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico. Authorities allege that Wedding’s criminal group was involved in the deaths of two family members in Canada, which they believe stemmed from a stolen drug shipment. The incident, described as a case of mistaken identity, also involved the killings of two additional people. Federal filings mention that law enforcement seized cocaine, firearms, ammunition, cash, and over $3 million in cryptocurrency during the investigation.
Wedding’s criminal history is not new. He competed for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City but was later convicted in the United States of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2010, for which he served a prison sentence. After his release, U.S. officials suspect that Wedding returned to drug trafficking, allegedly under the protection of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
Apart from the U.S. charges, Wedding faces unresolved drug trafficking charges in Canada dating back to 2015. Chris Leather, Chief Superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), confirmed that these charges are still pending, underscoring the seriousness of Wedding’s involvement in cross-border criminal activity.