LOS ANGELES — Authorities have announced a substantial reward for information that could lead to the capture of Ryan Wedding, an ex-Olympic snowboarder once representing Canada. Wedding is currently on the run and is accused of overseeing an extensive international drug trafficking operation and managing several murders linked to this illicit network.
The FBI added the 43-year-old to its notorious 10 Most Wanted list on Thursday, while concurrently unveiling a $10 million reward offer from the U.S. State Department. This financial incentive is aimed at securing tips that may result in Wedding’s arrest.
“Ryan Wedding transitioned from mastering the Olympic slopes to allegedly operating as a major distributor of cocaine within cities across the United States and his home country, Canada,” stated Akil Davis, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “His suspected involvement in the murders of competitors highlights the severe threat he poses.”
According to the FBI, Wedding is known by various aliases including “El Jefe,” “Public Enemy,” and “James Conrad King.”
The former athlete, who participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics, faced charges in June last year, involving murder and narcotics-related offenses. These charges were further amplified with a September indictment, which alleged that Wedding and his associates orchestrated the annual transport of approximately 60 tons of cocaine. The network reportedly employed long-haul trucks for smuggling operations spanning Colombia, Mexico, Southern California, and Canada.
During the announcement of the indictment in October, the FBI revealed that approximately a dozen individuals had been apprehended concerning this case.
U.S. authorities claim the network was responsible for the slayings of two Canadian family members, allegedly retaliating for a misplaced drug shipment. According to officials and federal documentation, this incident was a case of mistaken identity. Additionally, the group is believed to have been involved in the deaths of two other individuals.
Ryan Wedding’s sporting history includes finishing 24th in the parallel giant slalom event at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
