TLDR
- Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding is on FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with a $10M reward for his capture
- Wedding allegedly ran a transnational cocaine smuggling operation between Colombia, Mexico, US, and Canada
- He is accused of using Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency to launder money and bypass banking systems
- Wedding reportedly ordered multiple murders, including a 2023 attack on a family in Ontario, Canada
- If caught and convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of life in federal prison
Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, is now among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. The 43-year-old faces heavy charges for allegedly running a large drug trafficking network.
U.S. authorities announced on Thursday a $10 million reward for information leading to Wedding’s capture. The Department of State authorized this reward under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP).
“Wedding went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada,”
said Akil Davis, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. This bounty is part of a desperate attempt to catch the fugitive.
Law enforcement believes Wedding is hiding in Mexico. They say he may be under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel. However, they haven’t ruled out his presence in the United States, Canada, Colombia, or other Central American countries.
Wedding, who also goes by aliases like “El Jefe” and “Giant,” allegedly worked with his second-in-command Andrew Clark. They are accused of shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada.
The pair stored drugs in Los Angeles stash houses. From there, long-haul trucks would transport the cocaine to Canada. The operation relied on a Canada-based transportation network run by Hardeep Ratte and Gurpreet Singh.
Criminal Charges Filed
In October 2024, the Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Wedding and 15 other people. The charges claim they led the drug syndicate and committed many crimes as part of their trafficking business.
What makes this case stand out is Wedding’s alleged use of cryptocurrency. According to the charges, he used Tether (USDT), the largest stablecoin by market cap, to launder money from drug sales.
This method let him move money across borders without using regular banks. A November report showed Mexican drug cartels, including Sinaloa, use Tether to move illegal funds quickly across borders.
Tether Used for Money Laundering
Tether has become a favorite tool for money laundering. The U.S. government has seized millions of dollars in USDT linked to cocaine trafficking. Investigations show cartels using this digital currency to hide their profits.
Violence was reportedly a key part of Wedding’s operation. He and Clark allegedly ordered multiple murders to protect their business interests. This includes a November 2023 attack on a family in Ontario, Canada, in revenge for a stolen drug shipment.
Two family members were killed in that attack. Another survived but had serious injuries. The indictment also charges Wedding and Clark with ordering a May 2024 murder over a drug debt.
Clark was arrested in Mexico last October. He was among 29 fugitives that Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced had been brought to the United States from Mexico last week.
If convicted, Wedding and Clark face very serious penalties. The continuing criminal enterprise charge carries a mandatory minimum of life in federal prison. Murder and attempted murder charges carry minimum 20-year sentences.
The FBI urges anyone with information about Wedding to contact them via WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram at +1-424-495-0614. People can also call their local FBI office or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
Wedding’s placement marks the 535th addition to the FBI’s list of notorious fugitives. The Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list was established in March 1950. Since then, 496 of the 535 fugitives have been caught, with 163 captures due to help from the public.
Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, described Wedding as “unremitting, callous and greed-driven.” He added, “The former Canadian snowboarder unleashed an avalanche of death and destruction, here and abroad.”
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. The investigation involves cooperation between U.S., Canadian, Mexican, and Colombian law enforcement agencies.
