Former Olympic Snowboarder Accused of Leading Cocaine Trafficking Ring

A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, Ryan James Wedding, has been accused of masterminding a drug trafficking network that transported significant amounts of cocaine across the Americas, leading to multiple deaths, as per authorities' statements on Thursday.

The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for any information that could lead to the arrest and extradition of Wedding, a Canadian national who was residing in Mexico and is currently on the run. Wedding, aged 43, is facing charges in the United States for operating a criminal enterprise, murder, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and other related offenses, according to U.S. prosecutors.

Reports from U.S. authorities reveal that Wedding's syndicate facilitated the movement of large cocaine shipments from Colombia, passing through Mexico and California, to destinations in Canada and various locations within the United States, utilizing long-haul semitrucks for transportation. Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder, is among 16 individuals indicted in connection with a network that trafficked an estimated 60 tons of cocaine annually, with four of them currently evading law enforcement, stated Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.

"He made the conscious decision to transition into a significant drug trafficker and a perpetrator of violence," remarked Estrada during a press briefing.

Krysti Hawkins, the FBI special agent in charge in Los Angeles, disclosed that a dozen individuals were apprehended in Florida, Michigan, Canada, Colombia, and Mexico in relation to the case.

U.S. authorities allege that the group orchestrated the killings of two members of a Canadian family in retribution for a purportedly stolen drug consignment, which Canadian officials described as a case of mistaken identity, along with at least one additional individual. In connection with their investigation, authorities reported the confiscation of cocaine, firearms, ammunition, cash, and over $3 million in cryptocurrency.

Wedding represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, where he secured the 24th position in the parallel giant slalom event, as per authorities' accounts.

Chris Leather, the chief superintendent with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, mentioned that Wedding is also facing separate drug trafficking charges in Canada dating back to 2015.

"Those charges are still pending," Leather affirmed.

Records indicate that Wedding had previously been convicted in the U.S. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to imprisonment in 2010. Estrada stated that U.S. authorities suspect Wedding resumed drug trafficking activities following his release and has been shielded by the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico.