Federal officials announced a $15 million reward, new charges and sanctions against a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder accused of orchestrating murders to protect his massive cartel-linked cocaine enterprise on Wednesday.
“Drug kingpin” Ryan Wedding traffics 60 metric tons of cocaine into Los Angeles in semi-trucks from Mexico per year with protection from the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated foreign terrorist organization, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other Department of Justice (DOJ) leaders said in a press conference. A new indictment charges Wedding with additional crimes, including witness tampering, intimidation and murder, primarily for allegedly orchestrating a federal witness’ killing in Colombia in January.
Wedding, believed to be hiding in Mexico, is Canada’s “most prolific cocaine trafficker” but focused his trafficking enterprise on California because of its “weak laws” against drugs, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.
In addition to new charges, the U.S. government is raising a reward for information leading to Wedding’s capture from $10 million to $15 million, imposing Treasury Department sanctions against him and associates, offering separate $2 million rewards for information on the witness’ murder and charging at least 35 people over Wedding’s criminal enterprise, officials said.
One defendant in custody is a lawyer who allegedly advised Wedding to kill the witness, claiming a prior indictment against Wedding from 2024 would be dropped as a result, Essayli said.
The former athlete orchestrated dozens of murders globally, targeting rivals and witnesses alike, officials said.
“Let me be clear: drugs are killing our kids,” Bondi said. “Whether you are a street-level drug dealer … or an international drug kingpin, we are coming for you, we will find you, and you will be accountable and held to justice for your crimes.”
Wedding has evaded arrest for ten years, according to CBC News. Leaders from the DOJ, FBI, Treasury Department, State Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police showed up at Wednesday’s press conference to declare that his alleged reign of terror will end.
“Your days are numbered,” Essayli said to the cameras, addressing Wedding and his alleged co-conspirators.
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