WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder from Canada, is under investigation for running a multi-national drug trafficking network and faces new murder charges in connection with the killing of a federal witness. Ten other defendants have been apprehended following a federal indictment that alleges Wedding orchestrated the assassination of the witness in Colombia to avoid extradition to the United States.
The FBI has added Wedding to its Most Wanted list, with authorities offering a substantial reward of up to $15 million for any information leading to his arrest. Currently believed to be residing in Mexico, he allegedly works closely with the notorious Sinaloa cartel to smuggle large amounts of narcotics across North America.
Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the government's commitment to prosecuting drug traffickers, proclaiming, Whether you are a street-level drug dealer... or an international drug kingpin, we are coming for you.
Wedding, who is known by several aliases, including “El Jefe” and “James Conrad King,” was charged in 2024 for managing a drug operation that reportedly smuggles around 60 tons of cocaine annually using long-haul trucks between Colombia, Mexico, California, and Canada.
He and his co-conspirators used a Canadian website, 'the Dirty News,' to post the witness's photo, which ultimately led to the witness's targeted murder in Medellín. Prosecutors revealed that Wedding believed eliminating the witness would drop the charges against his drug operation, but they declared he was mistaken.
In a further attempt to incentivize cooperation, the U.S. government has also offered rewards of up to $2 million for information leading to the capture of other individuals involved in the witness's death.
The FBI has added Wedding to its Most Wanted list, with authorities offering a substantial reward of up to $15 million for any information leading to his arrest. Currently believed to be residing in Mexico, he allegedly works closely with the notorious Sinaloa cartel to smuggle large amounts of narcotics across North America.
Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the government's commitment to prosecuting drug traffickers, proclaiming, Whether you are a street-level drug dealer... or an international drug kingpin, we are coming for you.
Wedding, who is known by several aliases, including “El Jefe” and “James Conrad King,” was charged in 2024 for managing a drug operation that reportedly smuggles around 60 tons of cocaine annually using long-haul trucks between Colombia, Mexico, California, and Canada.
He and his co-conspirators used a Canadian website, 'the Dirty News,' to post the witness's photo, which ultimately led to the witness's targeted murder in Medellín. Prosecutors revealed that Wedding believed eliminating the witness would drop the charges against his drug operation, but they declared he was mistaken.
In a further attempt to incentivize cooperation, the U.S. government has also offered rewards of up to $2 million for information leading to the capture of other individuals involved in the witness's death.
