### Former Olympian Accused of Leading Major Transnational Drug Operation

Ryan James Wedding, a 43-year-old former Olympic snowboarder who once aspired to greatness on the slopes, is now a wanted criminal accused of leading a major cocaine trafficking organization. Federal prosecutors claim that following his 24th-place finish for Canada in the men's parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Wedding turned to a life of crime that involved large-scale drug trafficking and multiple murders.

The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada, in a news conference, alleged that Wedding chose the path of a "major drug trafficker and a killer" after his snowboarding career ended. Wedding is currently at large and being actively sought by law enforcement. "Ryan Wedding is still at large," confirmed FBI Special Agent in Charge Krysti Hawkins.

On Thursday, prosecutors unveiled a superseding indictment that charges Wedding with conspiracy to export cocaine, running a continuing criminal enterprise, and involvement in three murders and an attempted murder connected to his drug operations. This latest document modifies and replaces an earlier indictment against Wedding.

Prosecutors claim that between 2011 and 2024, Wedding—using several aliases including "El Jefe" and "Public Enemy"—ran an extensive drug trafficking organization that moved 60 tons of cocaine annually, amassing billions of dollars in revenue. His second-in-command, Andrew Clark, was recently arrested in Mexico. The operation reportedly involved moving cocaine from Colombia through Mexico to Southern California, then distributing it to Canada and parts of the United States with the help of a Canadian drug transportation network led by Hardeep Ratte and Gurpreet Singh.

The authorities have seized over a ton of cocaine, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $3 million in cryptocurrency as part of their ongoing investigation. Estrada noted that Wedding and Clark maintained rigid control over their enterprise, hiring contract killers to eliminate anyone they perceived as a threat.

A series of murders attributed to Wedding and his associates paint a gruesome picture. In November 2023, they allegedly ordered the murder of an Indian couple in Canada, mistakenly believing they had stolen a shipment of cocaine. In April 2024, another individual was killed in Ontario, followed by another execution-style killing in May 2024 over a drug debt.

This is not Wedding's first encounter with the law. In 2008, he was arrested on similar cocaine trafficking charges and later convicted in a federal court in San Diego in 2009.

Authorities have arrested 12 individuals across the U.S., Canada, Colombia, and Mexico in connection with Wedding's drug trafficking enterprise. They are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Wedding's arrest.