A FORMER Olympic snowboarder, considered the most notorious drug trafficker since Pablo Escobar, is now under the protection of the world’s deadliest cartel in an epic fall from grace.
Ryan Wedding, 44, was at the pinnacle of a successful sporting career in 2002, representing Canada at the Winter Olympics in the parallel giant slalom before he went from hero to zero.
Now, the 44-year-old ex-sporting hero has a £11.5 million bounty on his capture, with authorities believing he is hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
Last week, Wedding was charged with murder, witness tampering, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
His rare, multi-million dollar 2002 Mercedes CLK GTR supercar was seized by the FBI this week – valued at $13 million.
On Wednesday, US Attorney Bill Essayli alleged Wedding – who goes by “El Jefe”, “Boss” and “Giant” – ordered the killing of a key federal witness in broad daylight after a conversation between the drug lord and his lawyer.
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Toronto-area lawyer Deepak Paradkar was allegedly paid in luxury watches and extra lawyer fees after suggesting to Wedding, “if you kill this witness, the case will be dismissed”.
How Wedding became the most feared drug lord in north America, on the run after allegedly ordering the assassination of the FBI witness, is mind-boggling.
Wedding grew up carving the slopes – his wealthy parents owned Mount Baldy ski resort.
The Ontarian gave up winter sports following his Olympic run and picked up work as a bodybuilder and bounder at Vancouver night clubs.
It was there it’s thought he picked up the habit of growing and selling cannabis while it was still illegal in Canada.
By 2009, his petty criminal activity got him his first conviction- he served a prison sentence for cocaine trafficking in Texas before being deported back to Canada.
At his trial, he apologised to his family: “In the past 24 months I’ve spent in custody, I’ve had an opportunity to see first-hand what drugs do to people, and honestly, I’m ashamed that I became a part of the problem for years,” he said. “I guess I lost my way.”
But it wasn’t until 2024 that he was on the FBI’s radar, when investigators revealed he was the head of a vast criminal enterprise.
During that announcement, authorities accused him and his accomplices of triggering “an avalanche of violent crimes, including brutal murders”.
He allegedly orchestrated the assassinations of Indian tourists Jagtar and Harbhajan Sidhu, who were killed in broad daylight in 2023 in a case of mistaken identity.
Authorities alleged that his drug trafficking network used trucks and stash houses to transport Colombian cocaine to the US and Canada from Mexico.
He’s accused of shipping five metric tons of fentanyl per month, as reported by CBC.
FBI director Kash Patel described him as a “modern iteration of Pablo Escobar”, placing he on the FBI’s most wanted list.
“Instead of using the privileges that come with being an Olympic athlete to do good for people, he did the opposite,” US Attorney Martin Estrada alleged at the time.
“He chose to become a major drug trafficker and he chose to become a killer.”
He placed 24th in his Olympic event.