Former Olympian Charged in Drug Trafficking Case

Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, is among 16 individuals indicted for operating a massive transnational cocaine trafficking operation. The group allegedly moved cocaine from Colombia through Mexico to the U.S. and Canada, with Wedding charged with multiple felonies including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and murder. Wedding, 43, is currently a fugitive, while his co-defendant Andrew Clark was arrested in Mexico on October 8. The indictment outlines that the organization used long-haul semi-trucks and stash houses in Los Angeles for their operations, and has been linked to violent acts, including orchestrated murders over drug debts. Federal prosecutors claim the network transported around 60 tons of cocaine annually and resorted to violence to protect their interests. Authorities have issued a $50,000 reward for information leading to Wedding's capture.