A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, Ryan James Wedding, along with 15 others, has been indicted for allegedly leading a transnational drug trafficking ring that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Canada, via Mexico and Southern California. The group is also accused of orchestrating multiple murders linked to their illicit activities.Wedding, 43, a Canadian citizen from Coquitlam, BC, living in Mexico, and his co-defendant Andrew Clark, 34, also a Canadian living in Mexico, were previously charged with running a criminal enterprise involving murder and drug distribution. Wedding, who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, finishing 24, remains a fugitive, while Clark was arrested by Mexican authorities on October 8..The indictment, unsealed today, names 14 additional defendants and details how the group allegedly transported large quantities of cocaine from Mexico to Southern California, storing it in stash houses before delivering it to a Canada-based drug transportation network. This network, operated by Ontario residents Hardeep Ratte, 45, and Gurpreet Singh, 30, smuggled the drugs across the border to Canada in long-haul semi-trucks.The criminal organization resorted to violence to protect its operations, according to prosecutors. Wedding and Clark are accused of ordering the murders of two Ontario family members in November 2023 after a drug shipment was stolen. The pair is also linked to other murders, including an April 2024 killing in Ontario.Wedding, who used the aliases “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy,” faces eight felony charges, including conspiracy to distribute drugs, leading a criminal enterprise, and multiple counts of murder. Clark, known as "The Dictator," faces similar charges. If convicted, both face life in federal prison.U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said, "As alleged, an Olympic athlete-turned-drug lord is now charged with leading a transnational organized crime group... We will continue to work with our international partners to bring these groups to justice."The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Wedding's arrest. Authorities have seized over a ton of cocaine, firearms, ammunition, $255,400 in cash, and over $3.2 million in cryptocurrency during the investigation.The defendants are expected to make court appearances in Los Angeles, Michigan, and Miami.
