Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder, is facing accusations of running a billion-dollar international drug cartel that reportedly carried out killings to eliminate its opposition. Wedding, who competed for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics, is believed to be residing in Mexico while evading United States authorities. His cartel allegedly trafficked nearly 60 tons of cocaine annually.
Snowboarding career overshadowed by drug cartel allegations
Wedding represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, where he finished 24th in the parallel giant slalom. However, his athletic legacy has been marred by allegations that he operated a “prolific and ruthless” criminal enterprise for over a decade.
Authorities claim Wedding’s drug cartel engaged in large-scale trafficking. The former Olympian is now a fugitive wanted by U.S. officials.
US attorney comments on Wedding’s downfall
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada has been outspoken about the case, regretting that Wedding chose to discard the privileges of being an Olympic athlete to pursue a life of crime. Estrada remarked, “Instead of using the privileges that come with being an Olympic athlete to do good for people, he did the opposite. He chose to become a major drug trafficker and he chose to become a killer.”
Wedding is the principal defendant in an indictment that involves another Canadian national who was arrested on October 8. There are also another 14 co-defendants. So far, 12 of the co-defendants have been taken into custody.
Former snowboarder faces eight felony charges
The former snowboarder faces eight felony charges, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to export cocaine, leading a drug cartel, and multiple counts of murder. His situation, and deepening involvement in organized crime, has been compared to a movie plot.
The FBI has offered a reward of US$50,000 for information leading to Wedding’s capture and extradition. Authorities believe he returned to drug trafficking after a previous conviction 15 years ago for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, for which he served over a year in prison. Following his release, Wedding allegedly resumed his criminal activities and eventually became a drug cartel kingpin.
The indictment claims that Wedding’s cartel “routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine to Canada and the United States” and orchestrated several murders to advance their trade in drugs.