U.S. prosecutors in Los Angeles have charged former Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding with leading a violent cocaine smuggling operation based in Mexico.
A 52-page indictment accuses the 43-year-old Canadian and 15 others of transporting 60 tons of cocaine annually from Colombia to the U.S. and Canada using semi-trucks.
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information on Wedding, who goes by the aliases “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy.”
Authorities raided a $5 million mansion in South Florida and arrested Nahim Jorge Bonilla, a 36-year-old music executive named in the indictment. Bonilla allegedly received 12 kilograms of cocaine from Wedding and co-defendant Andrew Clark and faced death threats over unpaid debts. Wedding, who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, had previously been convicted in the U.S. for drug-related charges.
After his release, U.S. authorities believe Wedding resumed trafficking for Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
Law enforcement seized cocaine, firearms, ammunition, cash, and over $3 million in cryptocurrency as part of the investigation.
Four of the 16 accused remain at large, while others have been arrested in various locations.
The group is also linked to several murders, including the deaths of two Indian family members in Canada, killed in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment.
