LOS ANGELES, CA – A former Olympic snowboarder has been accused of leading a massive transnational drug trafficking organization, shipping large quantities of cocaine, and allegedly hiring hitmen to carry out multiple murders, according to federal officials.
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Ryan Wedding, 43, a Canadian Olympian who now resides in Mexico, is one of 16 individuals charged in a federal indictment, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday.
The “prolific and ruthless” crime group is alleged to have transported “literally tons of cocaine into the United States and Canada,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada during a press briefing. “They were killers,” Estrada added, noting that the organization would resort to violence, including murder, to eliminate anyone who posed a threat to their operations.
Wedding is accused of orchestrating the billion-dollar drug operation for the past 13 years from Mexico, according to Estrada. The organization is alleged to have moved approximately 60 tons of cocaine per year. At one point, the group reportedly used the Los Angeles area as a hub, moving shipments from drug kitchens in Colombia to stash houses in Los Angeles before distributing the cocaine to Canada and the East Coast of the U.S.
The indictment claims Wedding and others amassed billions of dollars, allegedly laundering funds through cryptocurrency. Prosecutors stated that between April and September, the organization laundered approximately $250 million.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement officials seized over one ton of cocaine, along with three firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, $255,400 in U.S. currency, and more than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency.
The indictment also alleges that the group used contract killers to assassinate those who interfered with their activities. Several victims were shot execution-style in Canada, in incidents designed for their loved ones to witness, prosecutors said.
One such case involved two parents who were murdered in front of their daughter in 2023 due to mistaken identity, according to Estrada. The daughter, who was also shot multiple times, survived the attack. In another case, a victim was killed in May over a drug debt, while a fourth individual was murdered in April.
Charges in the 16-count superseding indictment include drug trafficking, criminal enterprise charges, and murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise.
Many of the defendants were arrested in recent weeks across California, Michigan, Florida, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico. Several are expected to appear in court next week in Los Angeles, Michigan, and Miami.
Wedding, who is still at large, is considered a fugitive. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest. Wedding, also known by aliases such as “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy,” had been previously charged in an earlier indictment and is now the lead defendant in the superseding indictment.
A former athlete, Wedding competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he placed 24th in the giant parallel slalom.
If convicted on the charges of murder and attempted murder, Wedding faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison. The continuing criminal enterprise charges also carry a mandatory life sentence, according to the DOJ.
