Ryan James Wedding is a Canadian former snowboarder who recently got charged with running a billion-dollar cocaine trafficking operation, find out more about him and the incident below
According to reports, the operation reportedly spans across several countries like the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia.
Who is Ryan James Wedding as ex-Olympic snowboarder is charged with running cocaine trafficking operation by FBI
The reports state that Ryan is also linked to many killings and oversaw the enterprise violently, while working with partners throughout North America.
Ryan James Wedding bio
Ryan James Wedding was a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is currently 43-years-old. He is currently facing allegations of being a drug trafficking leader, and accused of overseeing a billion-dollar cocaine enterprise operation. Wedding notably competed during the 2002 Winter Olympics in the snowboarding event.
Ryan James Wedding accused of running cocaine trafficking operation
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada accused Wedding of being a โmajor trafficker and a killerโ from 2011 to 2024. Estrada further claimed that Wedding was the leader of โThe Wedding Criminal Enterpriseโ and brought cocaine into Southern California from Colombia via Mexico alongside his second-in-command, Andrew Clark. They then dispersed the cocaine throughout the United States and Canada along with Canadian colleagues Gurpreet Singh and Hardeep Ratte.
According to the indictment, Wedding and his organization made significant revenues by moving over 60 tons of cocaine annually. As part of the investigations, federal authorities managed to find over a ton of cocaine, ammunition, and $3 million in cryptocurrencies. As a drug trader, Wedding went by aliases, such as โEl Jefeโ and โPublic Enemy.โ Moreover, the prosecution claimed that Wedding resorted to violence, including contract assassinations in order to keep his billion-dollar business under control. While authorities have arrested Clark in Mexico, Wedding is still on the run with a $50,000 reward for any information about his whereabouts. FBI Special Agent Krysti Hawkins confirmed Weddingโs status as a fugitive.
Other charges
Besides being charged with drug trafficking and running an operation, Ryan James Wedding is also suspected of several killings. Weddingโs business allegedly killed an Indian couple back in November 2023, beside their survivor daughter. Moreover, authorities also charged Wedding and Clark with two homicide cases that took place in Canada earlier this year in April and May, 2024.
The #FBI offers a reward of up to $50,000 for info leading to the apprehension, arrest & extradition of Ryan James Wedding, wanted for alleged involvement in a transnational drug trafficking operation & multiple murders in furtherance of these drug crimes: https://t.co/RFdFwKgSaf pic.twitter.com/YY6s8pmPqx
โ FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) October 17, 2024
Weddings was also detained back in 2008 on suspicion of selling cocaine. He is now accused of three murders, one attempted murder, as well as a conspiracy to traffic in cocaine. Aside from Ryan James Wedding, authorities have also taken in twelve people across the United States, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico.