The U.S. Department of State has announced a $10 million reward for the capture of a former Olympic Snowboarder Ryan Wedding accused of leading a significant transnational drug trafficking organization and orchestrating numerous murders.
Wedding is currently on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, with a $10 million reward offered for his capture.
Wedding, 43, is accused of running a transnational drug trafficking organization, shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Canada and the United States.
He’s also linked to multiple murders and an attempted murder in connection with his alleged drug crimes
His athletic background is notable, having competed in the men’s parallel giant slalom event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he finished 24th ¹. However, his life took a drastic turn, allegedly involving him in a violent transnational drug trafficking organization.
The FBI describes Wedding as a dangerous individual, with aliases including “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King,” and “Jesse King” He’s believed to be residing in Mexico, but his whereabouts are currently unknown.
been placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, as revealed by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office on Thursday. Former Olympic snowboarder and Canadian national Ryan Wedding is depicted in a photo released by the FBI.
Wedding is wanted for allegedly operating a drug trafficking network “that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in furtherance of these drug crimes,” according to FBI.
He was indicted last year in a federal court in Los Angeles on multiple charges, including running a continuing criminal enterprise, committing murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise.
He and his alleged second-in-command, 34-year-old Canadian Andrew Clark, are accused of conspiring to transport hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Mexico to the Los Angeles area, where it was stored in stash houses before being moved to Canada and other U.S. cities using long-haul semi-trucks, authorities reported. Wedding and Clark are also accused of ordering the murders of several individuals in Canada to further the goals of the organization, the FBI noted.
Clark was apprehended in Mexico last year by local authorities and was among the 29 fugitives extradited to the U.S. from Mexico last week, while Wedding’s current location remains unknown.
The drug lord menace is a significant concern in the United States, with the DEA reporting that two Mexican cartels, Sinaloa and Jalisco, are responsible for the majority of drug trafficking in the country.
These cartels have been linked to the rising number of overdose deaths, with fentanyl being a major contributor.
Fentanyl-related deaths:_ Approximately 70% of overdose deaths in the US are attributed to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
Methamphetamine seizures:_ Nearly all methamphetamine sold in the US is manufactured in Mexico, with a significant increase in purity and potency .
Drug-related deaths:_ 107,941 American lives were lost to drug-related deaths in 2022, according to the CDC .
The DEA has emphasized the need for a new approach to combat the synthetic drug crisis, which includes targeting the cartels’ networks and supply chains.
The agency has also highlighted the importance of addressing the root causes of addiction and providing support for those affected by the crisis.
