U.S., Canadian authorities announce new arrests in efforts to prosecute fugitive Ryan Wedding
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U.S. Attorney-General Pam Bondi during the announcement of a law enforcement action during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on Wednesday.Tom Brenner/Reuters
U.S. and Canadian authorities announced new arrests, indictments and sanctions on Wednesday in their continuing efforts to locate, arrest and prosecute Canadian ex-Olympic snowboarder turned fugitive Ryan Wedding, who allegedly leads a transnational crime network.
Appearing at a joint news conference in Washington, D.C., with Canadian authorities, U.S. Attorney-General Pam Bondi said authorities have worked closely with international partners. Ms. Bondi unsealed a new indictment outlining new charges, including murder and witness tampering, against more of Mr. Wedding’s alleged associates and increased the reward for information leading to Mr. Wedding’s arrest from $10-million to $15-million.
“We arrested 12 people yesterday in an international takedown,” U.S. attorney for central California Bill Essayli told reporters. He said the arrested individuals included a Canadian lawyer acting for Mr. Wedding.
The total number of those arrested and sought in connection with the Wedding network is now more than 30, officials said.
The U.S. Treasury Department also announced that it is sanctioning Mr. Wedding, his alleged accomplices and is seizing millions of dollars from them.
Canadian ex-Olympian added to FBI’s most wanted fugitives list; $10-million reward offered
Mr. Wedding, who is believed to be hiding in Mexico, has allegedly trafficked tonnes of cocaine and fentanyl across the continent. He was described by law enforcement officials on Wednesday as a man who enforces drug debts and loyalty through murder – including an alleged January, 2025, murder of a man in Colombia believed to have turned against Mr. Wedding’s network.
“Ryan Wedding is a modern day iteration of Pablo Escobar. He is a modern day iteration of El Chapo,” FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters.
“He will not evade justice,” he added.
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A poster reads ‘Reward $2 Million Each for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of unknown individuals responsible for the assassination of a U.S. federal witness associated with Ryan Wedding.’Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
U.S. authorities were joined by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, who described the announced measures as “historical.”
“No single agency or nation can combat transnational crime alone,” Commissioner Duheme said.
He said Canadian police on Tuesday arrested seven individuals with alleged ties to the Wedding network.
Commissioner Duheme estimated that the Wedding organization makes more than $1-billion per year.
U.S. seeks extradition of Montreal man amid reports he is connected to fugitive Ryan Wedding
Mr. Wedding, who competed for Canada as a snowboarder at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list since March.
Police on both sides of the border have alleged that Mr. Wedding has been sheltered by the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico, which was recently designated a terrorist group by the Canadian and U.S. governments.
In October, 2024, FBI and RCMP officials jointly announced in Los Angeles that they had teamed up to investigate Mr. Wedding as a man alleged to be one of North America’s most significant criminal overlords.
American prosecutors alleged in a detailed criminal indictment filed in Los Angeles that Mr. Wedding leads an organized crime group that moves large shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and California to Canada and other locations in the U.S.
The FBI has accused Mr. Wedding of orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in Southern Ontario.
Former Olympian and accused drug lord likely still has access to ‘network of hitmen,’ U.S. authorities say
The announcement follows the arrest of a Montreal man, charged with murder conspiracy, who the U.S. is seeking to extradite, amid media reports that the case is related to international drug-trafficking allegations against Mr. Wedding.
Atna Onha, 40, appeared in court in Montreal on Tuesday, but few details were available about the allegations. La Presse and Radio-Canada reported that the alleged victim is someone who was expected to be a witness in the case against Mr. Wedding, who is believed to be in hiding in Mexico.
Katelyn Moores, a spokeswoman for Justice Canada, said on Tuesday that Mr. Onha was provisionally arrested at the request of the United States. He is wanted to stand trial in California for conspiracy to commit murder and other charges.
