Former Olympic Snowboarder, Reputed Drug Trafficker Charged with Murder of a Witness — FBI Offers $15 Million Reward for Capture By Christine Pelisek and Ben Brachfeld

A former Olympic snowboarder is accused of overseeing a massive drug trafficking empire and orchestrating the murder of a witness, U.S. law enforcement authorities announced on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Federal authorities allege that 44-year-old Ryan James Wedding put the hit on a federal witness after being indicted in 2024, the Department of Justice wrote in a press release on Nov. 19.

The witness was fatally shot five times at a restaurant in Colombia before he could testify against Wedding, Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a Wednesday press conference in Washington, D.C.

Wedding, who represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in March. His previous indictment accused him of running a multinational drug enterprise and directing the murder of two people in Canada who had allegedly stolen a drug shipment.

Authorities are offering a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture..

“He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in this world,” Bondi said. “He is the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada.” 

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According to federal officials, Wedding is believed to live in Mexico and work closely with the Sinoloa drug cartel. Per an indictment filed against him dated Oct. 28, he uses at least 32 aliases.

Ten others linked to Wedding’s alleged criminal enterprise were taken into custody on Tuesday, Nov. 18, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release.

They include Deepak Paradkar, a criminal barrister whom prosecutors allege recommended the witness execution to prevent Wedding’s extradition to the United States.

Also arrested were Gursewak Singh Bal, who allegedly ran a news site that, in exchange for payment, ran a photo on his website of the federal witness to assist Wedding in finding them, and Edwin Basora-Hernandez, a Canadian reggaeton musician who also allegedly also allegedly assisted Wedding in locating the victim.