Ex-Olympic athlete charged with ordering killings in cocaine trafficking operation across North America

By CNN Newsource

Published October 17, 2024 1:45 PM

By Marissa Wenzke

LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — An ex-Olympic snowboarder who remains a fugitive is facing federal charges alleging he ordered killings as part of a cocaine trafficking ring across North America prosecutors have described as ruthless and deadly.

Ryan James Wedding, 43, competed for Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games before he was convicted in 2010 of attempting to buy cocaine from a U.S. government agent, according to the Olympics. Now, he is on the run and living in Mexico, federal prosecutors say, as he faces eight felony charges including murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime. A superseding indictment unsealed Thursday details charges against him and 15 other defendants.

Ryan Wedding, 43, in a photo released by the FBI in late 2024.

The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and extradition of Wedding, who authorities say should be considered armed and dangerous.

A federal warrant for his arrest was issued on Sept. 17.

“For the last 13 years, Wedding ran this criminal enterprise,” U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada told reporters during a news conference Thursday, describing the alleged drug ring as a “ruthless” operation that made billions of dollars.

Several defendants already arrested in the case are scheduled to appear in court this coming week in Miami, Los Angeles and Michigan.

Ryan Clark, 34, is a fellow Canadian citizen who has been described by prosecutors as Wedding’s right-hand man. He was arrested on Oct. 8, according to federal prosecutors.

In November 2023, Wedding and Clark allegedly ordered the killing of a couple who was visiting Canada from India. They had believed the two people were responsible for a lost cocaine shipment, Estrada said, but that wasn’t actually the case.

“This was a case of mistaken identity,” Estrada said. “They were killed in cold blood in front of their daughter, who was also shot 13 times.”

On average, the drug trafficking operation would allegedly ship around 60 tons of cocaine through North America, Estrada said. For instance, in March 2024, it delivered 293 kilograms of cocaine, or about 646 pounds, for shipment and distribution to Canada and another shipment the following month contained 375.1 kilograms, or 827 pounds, of cocaine.

Prosecutors said several defendants possessed about 1.8 tons of cocaine with a street value of around $23 to $25 million.

Multiple murders were committed as part of the drug network and cryptocurrency was used to launder millions of dollars — federal investigators seized $3 million from one cryptocurrency wallet alone, Estrada said.

“They would use contract killers to assassinate anyone who they saw as an obstacle to their operation,” Estrada said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California displays seizures made as part of an investigation into an alleged drug ring operating out of Los Angeles and across North America. Prosecutors announced federal charges on Oct. 17, 2024, against 16 defendants including ex-Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.

Mass quantities of cocaine were sourced from Columbia, where it was cooked or manufactured in so-called cocaine kitchens, before being transporting into Mexico, according to federal prosecutors. From there, the cocaine was trafficked into the U.S. in long-haul trucks and brought into Southern California.

“Once in the United States, they used the Los Angeles area as a hub for their transportation network,” Estrada said, saying Canadian handlers would go to stash houses in LA to coordinate the transportation of cocaine to the East Coast and Canada.

After reaching the highest level in his sport, Wedding has spent more than a decade running an expansive — and deadly — drug ring, according to Estrada. “He chose to become a major trafficker and he chose to become a killer,” Estrada said.

This year, in May, Wedding and Clark allegedly ordered the killing of a man who was fatally shot as he sat inside his car in the driveaway of his home. Estrada said people killed in connection with the drug operation have been “shot execution-style.”

According to federal authorities, Wedding has been known to go by aliases including “Giant,” “El Jefe” and “Public Enemy.”

As part of the case, investigators have seized more than $1 ton of cocaine, $255,400 in U.S. cash, more than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency, three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

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