Ryan Wedding, the once-celebrated Canadian snowboarder who dazzled at the 2002 Winter Olympics, has plunged deeper into infamy as federal prosecutors level explosive new charges against him for murder in aid of drug trafficking. The 44-year-old ex-Olympian, now a fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, is accused of orchestrating a brutal witness assassination to shield his vast cocaine empire, alongside longstanding trafficking offenses that paint him as a ruthless drug kingpin.
Olympic Dreams Shattered: From Snowboard Star to Suspected Drug Kingpin
Ryan Wedding’s journey from athletic prodigy to alleged drug kingpin reads like a Hollywood thriller gone wrong. Hailing from Barrie, Ontario, Wedding made his mark in extreme sports, competing for Canada in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Fans remember him as a charismatic competitor pushing the limits on the slopes. But behind the medals and media spotlight, prosecutors claim a darker path emerged post-retirement, leading to a transnational cocaine trafficking network spanning Colombia, Mexico, the U.S., and Canada.
The initial 2024 indictment accused Wedding of leading a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiring to distribute and possess massive quantities of cocaine, and exporting the drug across borders. Federal documents allege his operation smuggled hundreds of kilograms, raking in millions through a web of suppliers, mules, and enforcers. Dubbed the “modern-day Pablo Escobar” by investigators, Wedding reportedly leveraged his international connections to evade detection for years.
Murder Charges Unsealed: The Witness Killing That Rocked the Case
The superseding indictment, unsealed on November 19, 2025, by the U.S. Department of Justice, adds conspiracy to commit murder in furtherance of drug crimes to Wedding’s ledger. Authorities charge that in January 2025, Wedding ordered the execution of a key federal witness in a crowded Colombian restaurant – a desperate move to silence testimony that could have crumbled his empire.
Court filings detail a chilling plot: Associates, including Canadian national Deepak Balwant Paradkar, allegedly coordinated surveillance and the hit, gunning down the informant in an execution-style attack. This isn’t isolated violence; the charges link Wedding to multiple murders and an attempted killing, all tied to protecting his cocaine trafficking operations from rivals and cooperators. “Wedding’s network has blood on its hands, terrorizing witnesses and undermining justice,” said FBI Special Agent Akil Khalfani during a Los Angeles press briefing.
Global Manhunt Escalates: $15 Million Reward and Sweeping Arrests
Wedding, who fled after his initial indictment, was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March 2025. Believed to be holed up in Mexico with cartel ties, the ex-Olympian faces a renewed crackdown. In a joint U.S.-Canadian operation, 10 associates were arrested – seven in Canada alone – spanning Toronto, Los Angeles, and beyond.
To spur tips, the U.S. government has ballooned the reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest to $15 million, one of the largest ever offered. “This fugitive’s alleged crimes demand swift justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. Canadian authorities, including the RCMP, have pledged full extradition support, highlighting the case’s cross-border stakes.
Broader Ramifications: A Wake-Up Call for Sports and Law Enforcement
The Ryan Wedding case exposes the shadowy underbelly of elite sports, where fame can mask criminal descent. As the alleged drug kingpin’s web unravels, experts call for tighter scrutiny of athletes’ post-career lives and bolstered international anti-trafficking pacts. With violence spilling from boardrooms to back alleys, this saga underscores the human cost of the war on drugs.
As the hunt intensifies, will the $15 million bounty deliver the ex-Olympian to justice? The world awaits, gripped by the fall of Ryan Wedding from snowboard sensation to suspected murderer and trafficker.
