The Department of Justice on Wednesday sharply escalated its pursuit of former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, announcing a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. Wedding, 44, a Canadian citizen now believed to be living in Mexico, faces a growing list of federal charges tied to an extensive drug-trafficking network and a series of violent crimes that authorities say spanned multiple countries.
According to a Justice Department statement, Wedding now faces nine counts, including two new charges of witness tampering and intimidation, along with murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking. These charges come in addition to earlier accusations that he oversaw a criminal enterprise and conspired to distribute and possess cocaine with intent to distribute. An unsealed indictment revealed that the new charges relate to a killing in Colombia allegedly carried out to prevent Wedding’s extradition to the United States.
Wedding had already been indicted in 2024 for allegedly orchestrating a vast narcotics operation responsible for transporting 60 tons of cocaine between Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and California. In March, he was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, and authorities previously offered $10 million for information leading to his arrest.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in announcing the increased reward, underscored the severity of the accusations. “Whether you’re a kingpin or a dealer on the street, anyone who sells drugs to our kids will be arrested and prosecuted,” she said. She described Wedding as controlling “one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world” and said he worked closely with the Sinaloa Cartel. Bondi vowed that law enforcement “will not rest” until Wedding is captured and his organization dismantled.
The updated charges stem directly from the January murder of a witness connected to the 2024 federal narcotics case. According to the DOJ, Wedding allegedly placed a bounty on the witness, who was subsequently tracked down and fatally shot inside a Medellín, Colombia restaurant. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California called the killing “a cruel, cold-blooded act” and said the latest arrests reinforce federal authorities’ determination to confront the network supporting Wedding. “If convicted, you will never see the outside of a prison ever again,” Essayli said.
The 2024 indictment also linked Wedding to a November 2023 shooting in Caledon, Ontario, that killed two members of a family and seriously injured a third. Prosecutors alleged the attack was carried out in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that had passed through Southern California.
Eighteen people now face charges connected to the drug-trafficking operation. Ten of them—including seven Canadian citizens, two Colombians, and one Colombia-born Florida resident—were arrested in the second phase of the DOJ’s “Operation Giant Slalom.”
Among those charged is Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, of Thornhill, Ontario, who prosecutors say advised Wedding to kill the witness in January to avoid extradition. Paradkar allegedly provided Wedding with court documents and secured legal representation that enabled him to communicate with co-conspirators. Another arrested individual, Gursewak Singh Bal, 31, of Mississauga, Ontario, allegedly agreed to publish a photograph of the witness on a news website to help locate the target.
Authorities continue to search for Wedding and three additional individuals still at large. As of Wednesday, 11 people linked to the operation have been arrested. If convicted, Wedding and others charged with murder could face life in federal prison.
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