‘Modern day Pablo Escobar’: 7 Canadians charged in relation to alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding

The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, naming him as one of the world’s most dangerous fugitives with a major drug-trafficking network operating across the Americas. Seven Canadians with alleged ties to Wedding were arrested and will be extradited to the U.S., RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said.

Wedding, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics, is already on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. U.S. officials say he is responsible for dozens of murders abroad.

U.S. officials say Wedding is responsible for the killing of American citizens. They also say he continues operating his criminal organization while hiding in Mexico.

“He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in this world,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said at a news conference on Wednesday. “He is the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada.”

The sanctions, announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), are targeting Wedding, and nine associates allegedly tied to his criminal operations.

The U.S. State Department also raised its reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest from US$10 million to up to US$15 million.

Drug routes, cryptocurrency, and murder

Investigators allege Wedding trafficked multi-tonne shipments of cocaine through Colombia and Mexico, distributing them into the U.S. and Canada.

Officials say he used cryptocurrency to move millions in drug proceeds and ordered murders across North and South America.

“Make no mistake about it, Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.

U.S. authorities announced a network of alleged associates they say helped Wedding hide, kill rivals, and move money:

• Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarado, known as “the General,” is accused of providing protection in Mexico and using law-enforcement contacts to locate targets. He allegedly controls three Mexican companies all of which are sanctioned.
• Miryam Andrea Castillo Moreno, Wedding’s wife, is accused of laundering drug money.
• Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, a Colombian national running a high-end prostitution ring in Mexico, is accused of assisting with the murder of an FBI witness earlier this year.
• Daniela Alejandra Acuna Macias, Wedding’s Colombian girlfriend, allegedly helped gather intelligence on his rivals.

Toronto lawyer and business accused of money laundering

U.S. officials also accuse Deepak Paradkar, a well-known GTA area lawyer, of facilitating drug trafficking, bribery and murders. He is also accused of providing Wedding access to privileged communications of other clients.

U.S. authorities also accuse a Toronto business of serving as a laundering front for Wedding.

Authorities say the jewelry store runs under the name “Diamond Tsar”.

What the sanctions mean

The sanctions freeze any U.S.-controlled assets belonging to the individuals and companies associated, and bars Americans from doing business with them.