Charges Against Ryan James Wedding
Federal authorities have accused a former Olympic snowboarder, Ryan James Wedding, of orchestrating the assassination of a federal witness who was scheduled to testify against his drug trafficking operations.
Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that Wedding, who represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics, allegedly placed a bounty on the witness, who was killed in January at a restaurant in Colombia.
The 44-year-old is believed to have sought the witness’s death to protect his extensive drug trafficking network, which has reportedly made him the largest cocaine supplier in Canada.
“Wedding collaborates closely with the Sinaloa Cartel, a foreign terrorist organization, to inundate both American and Canadian communities with cocaine sourced from Colombia,” Bondi stated. “His operation is responsible for importing around six metric tons of cocaine annually into Los Angeles via semi trucks from Mexico.”
The announcement of charges followed multiple arrests linked to this drug network. Court documents indicate that federal agents apprehended ten individuals from Canada and Colombia as part of Operation Giant Slalom.
This operation included the arrest of Deepak Balwant Paradkar, identified as an underworld lawyer for Wedding, who allegedly advised him on how to eliminate the witness.
According to Bondi, Wedding advertised the murder-for-hire scheme on a now-defunct website called “The Dirty News.”
“He believed that eliminating the victim would lead to dropping criminal charges against him and his international drug trafficking ring while also preventing his extradition to the United States,” said Bill Essayli, U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.
The federal government has charged Wedding with witness tampering and intimidation, money laundering, and drug trafficking. He already faces previous charges related to his trafficking activities stemming from a 2024 indictment where he was implicated in ordering two murders after they stole one of his drug shipments in Southern California.
The former athlete participated in Olympic parallel giant slalom events before abandoning his snowboarding career for a life steeped in crime. He has been evading capture for several years and was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list earlier this year.
The State Department has raised its reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest to $15 million due to these new allegations. His last known location was reported as Mexico.
