From Olympic Heights to Drug Cartel Depths: The Ryan Wedding Saga
The story of Ryan Wedding is one that defies belief. Once a celebrated Olympic snowboarder representing Canada, he's now a fugitive drug kingpin wanted by US authorities for orchestrating the murder of a witness. The US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has described Wedding's organisation as "one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations" globally.
A $15 Million Reward for Justice
US authorities are offering a staggering $15 million reward for information leading to Wedding's arrest. He's on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, believed to be hiding in Mexico under the protection of the notorious Sinaloa cartel. Authorities claim he's working with the cartel to smuggle massive amounts of drugs into the US and Canada.
The Murder Plot Unveiled
Wedding is accused of masterminding the murder of a key witness in Colombia to avoid extradition to the US. He allegedly paid C$10,000 to have photos of the witness and his wife posted on a Canadian website, The Dirty Newz, which has since been taken down by the FBI. The witness was subsequently shot and killed in a restaurant in Medellin.
International Manhunt Intensifies
The case has sparked an international manhunt, with law enforcement agencies from the US and Canada working together to bring Wedding to justice. Ten other defendants have already been arrested in connection with the case. Authorities have also arrested Ontario lawyer Deepak Paradkar, who allegedly advised Wedding to murder the FBI witness.
Echoes of Escobar
FBI Director Kash Patel has likened Wedding to a modern-day Pablo Escobar, highlighting the scale and sophistication of his drug trafficking operation. The US officials emphasized that Wedding is "responsible for engineering a narco trafficking and narco terrorism programme that we have not seen in a long time". Wedding, whose aliases include El Jefe and Public Enemy, faces charges including witness tampering, intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking.