Current:Home > StocksCanadian Olympian charged with murder and running international drug trafficking ring-LoTradeCoin
Canadian Olympian charged with murder and running international drug trafficking ring
View Date:2024-12-23 20:34:53
A one-time Olympic snowboarder was charged by federal prosecutors for running an international drug trafficking ring that shipped hundreds of pounds of cocaine into the United States and was involved in "orchestrating multiple murders."
The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California announced the charges Thursday for 43-year-old Ryan James Wedding, a Canada native who is believed to be in Mexico and a fugitive. The eight charges include murder, criminal enterprise, as well as conspiring to possess, distribute and export cocaine.
Prosecutors allege Wedding's operation shipped cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and the Los Angeles area before it was delivered throughout the United States and Canada via long-haul semi-trucks. With aliases that include "El Jefe," "Giant" and "Public Enemy," Wedding's organization "resorted to violence – including multiple murders – to achieve its aims," officials said.
Wedding and partner Andrew Clark allegedly directed the murders of two people in Ontario, Canada, in November 2023 in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment. Another person was injured in the shooting and left with physical injuries. It is also alleged the pair ordered the murder of another person in May 2024 over a drug debt.
“(Wedding) chose to become a major drug trafficker and he chose to become a killer,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said during a news conference. "They were killers. Anyone who got in their way they would target with violence, including murder."
Wedding competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in the parallel giant slalom. He is one of 16 people charged in connection with the drug trafficking ring. Clark was arrested in Mexico in October, but four people remain fugitives, including Wedding. During its investigation into the ring, law enforcement has seized more than one ton of cocaine, as well as firearms, ammunition, $255,400 in U.S. currency and more than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency.
The Olympian also faces drug charges in Canada. He previously was convicted of conspiring to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to prison in 2010, according to The Associated Press. Estrada said after he was released from prison, Wedding continued to participate in drug trafficking and was protected by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Wedding's apprehension, arrest and extradition.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on social media @jordan_mendoza5
veryGood! (4221)
Related
- US Diplomats Notch a Win on Climate Super Pollutants With Help From the Private Sector
- Jonathan Majors’ ‘Magazine Dreams’ lands theatrical release for early 2025
- Tigers, MLB's youngest team, handle playoff pressure in Game 1 win vs. Astros
- Former Packers RB Eddie Lacy arrested, charged with 'extreme DUI'
- When do new 'Yellowstone' episodes come out? Here's the Season 5, Part 2 episode schedule
- Condoms aren’t a fact of life for young Americans. They’re an afterthought
- Outer Banks’ Madison Bailey Hints Characters Will Have “Different Pairings” in Season 4
- Spirit Halloween roasts 'SNL' in hilarious response to show's spoof of the chain
- In bizarro world, Tennessee plays better defense, and Georgia's Kirby Smart comes unglued
- Which products could be affected by a lengthy port strike? Alcohol, bananas and seafood, to name a few
Ranking
- Kendall Jenner Is Back to Being a Brunette After Ditching Blonde Hair
- 15-year-old arrested on murder charge in fatal shooting of Chicago postal worker
- Which products could be affected by a lengthy port strike? Alcohol, bananas and seafood, to name a few
- The president could invoke a 1947 law to try to suspend the dockworkers’ strike. Here’s how
- Kate Spade Outlet’s Early Black Friday Sale – Get a $259 Bag for $59 & More Epic Deals Starting at $25
- Video shows Russian fighter jet in 'unsafe' maneuver just feet from US Air Force F-16
- Lawyer for keffiyeh-wearing, pro-Palestinian protester questions arrest under local face mask ban
- California lawmakers advance bill to prevent gas prices from spiking
Recommendation
-
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend part of week in DC as he tries to Trump-proof state policies
-
Why Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix Are Sparking Wedding Rumors
-
Texas prison system’s staffing crisis and outdated technology endanger guards and inmates
-
Chemical smoke spewing from a Georgia factory is projected to spread toward Atlanta as winds shift
-
Dwayne Johnson Admits to Peeing in Bottles on Set After Behavior Controversy
-
Kylie Jenner walks the runway wearing princess gown in Paris Fashion Week debut
-
Tribes celebrate the end of the largest dam removal project in US history
-
Coach praises Tim Walz’s son for helping protect other kids after shooting