Ryan Wedding, former Olympian for Canada, accused of leading a drug trafficking and murder ring
SportsIn
October 18, 2024

Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder for Canada, has been charged with running a drug trafficking organization that moved large quantities of cocaine throughout the Americas and has been charged with four murders, authorities said Thursday. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and extradition. Wedding, 43, was living in Mexico and is now considered a fugitive. Charges include leading a criminal enterprise, murder and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

The group led by Wedding moved cocaine shipments from Colombia through Mexico and California to Canada and other parts of the United States using long-haul trucks, according to US prosecutors. Martin Estrada, US Attorney in Los Angeles, said Wedding is one of 16 defendants linked to a network that trafficked 60 tons of cocaine a year, and four of them remain at large.

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION AND RELATED ARRESTS

The criminal operation not only involved Wedding, who was already facing drug trafficking charges in Canada since 2015, but also included other individuals arrested in Florida, Michigan, Canada, Colombia and Mexico. US authorities said the group killed two members of a Canadian family over a stolen drug shipment in a case of mistaken identity, in addition to two other people.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized cocaine, weapons, ammunition, cash and more than $3 million in cryptocurrencies. Wedding, who competed for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, had already been convicted in 2010 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the United States.

PROTECTED BY THE SINALOA CARTEL

Chris Leather, superintendent of the Canadian Mounted Police, stated that the charges in Canada against Wedding have not yet been resolved. In addition, following his release from prison in the US, Wedding is believed to have resumed his drug trafficking activities and has been protected by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, according to Estrada. The case marks a dark turn in the life of an athlete who once represented his country at the highest levels of sport.

The episode underscores concerns about the international reach of drug trafficking and links to organized crime. Authorities continue to search for Wedding and the other fugitives as investigations move forward to dismantle the criminal network.

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