Former Olympian Ryan Wedding allegedly ditched his snowboard to live a life Pablo Escobar would be jealous of.
The Canadian snowboarder, 43, has evaded capture thanks in part to protection from the deadly Sinola Cartel and corrupt authorities in Mexico.
He was added to the list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives in March, after being accused of leading a billion-dollar drug smuggling operation and orchestrating several murders.
The FBI have been after him since October 2024 and have raised the reward for his arrest from $10 million to $15 million this week.
Yesterday, US attorney general Pam Bondi announced new charges against Wedding for witness tampering and intimidation, murder, money laundering and drug trafficking.
He has been accused, in a newly unsealed indictment, of tracking down a witness in Columbia who was then murdered before he could give evidence.
Wedding, also known as ‘El Jefe’, ‘Giant’ and ‘Public Enemy’, is alleged to have overseen the transport of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Columbia and into Canada.
Bondi described his alleged operations as ‘one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organisations’ in the world.
She also said: ‘We are coming for you. We will find you. And you will be held accountable for your crimes.’
‘His organisation is responsible for importing approximately 60 metric tonnes of cocaine a year into Los Angeles via semi trucks from Mexico,’ she said, adding that it is about equivalent to the weight of 40 cars.
In the press conference, authorities also announced the arrest of the Ontario lawyer Deepak Paradkar, who allegedly advised Wedding to murder the FBI witness.
The witness was 42-year-old Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia shot dead in a Medellin restaurant in January.
Paradkar was one of the dozen individuals who were recently arrested in an ‘international takedown’ according to first assistant US attorney at the central district of California, Bill Essayli.
A Montreal man, Atna Onha, has also been arrested by police in Canada, and he has been charged with murder conspiracy in the killing of Acebedo-Garcia.
FBI director, Kash Patel said: ‘Make no mistake about it: Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar and El Chapo Guzmán.’
‘He’s being protected by the Sinaloa cartel along with others in the country of Mexico,’ Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles Field Office, said.
Wedding grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario and competed for Team Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic games, where he placed 24th in the parallel giant slalom.
In 2006, he was named in a search warrant investigating a marijuana-growing operation but was never charged.
After attempting to buy cocaine from a US government agent, he was convicted of drug trafficking in 2010 and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Altogether, Wedding has been charged with eight felonies, including three counts of murder and one count of attempt to commit murder.
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