From the halfpipe to headlines
Once an Olympic snowboarder representing Canada, Ryan Wedding’s name is now showing up in a very different kind of news feed. Instead of snow and medals, prosecutors say his story involves huge drug shipments, violent hits and international manhunts. He entered a not-guilty plea this week, and yes — it’s as wild as it sounds.
The arrest and courtroom moment
Wedding was picked up in Mexico and brought to a federal courtroom in Southern California. Wearing a jail jumpsuit and ankle shackles, he answered the judge when asked and said he understood the charges. The court ordered him held without bail, so he’ll be staying put until his case moves forward. His lawyer, Anthony Colombo, told reporters Wedding was “in good spirits,” which is one way to spin a courthouse cameo.
What he’s accused of
Federal prosecutors allege Wedding ran a massive trafficking organization — one they say moved tens of thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia into North America. The indictment ties him to drug-conspiracy counts as well as several murder and attempted murder charges, including accusations that hits were arranged to silence witnesses. One alleged victim was reportedly killed at a restaurant before they could testify.
How authorities say the operation worked
According to the indictment, the network sourced cocaine in Colombia, working with paramilitary groups and cartel contacts, then used boats and planes to get product into Mexico. From there, Mexican cartels allegedly helped smuggle shipments across the U.S. border. Officials say large caches were kept in Southern California’s Inland Empire before distribution north into Canada and around the United States.
Scale, comparisons and a $15 million reward
Investigators have painted this as a huge enterprise — law enforcement even compared the accused operation to notorious drug lords when discussing the case. Wedding was put on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list last year, and the State Department offered a reward of $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Those are not small claims.
People around the alleged enterprise
Prosecutors say the group was organized under what they called the Wedding Criminal Enterprise. A man identified as one of Wedding’s top lieutenants, Andrew Clark, was arrested and charged last year with helping run the network and allegedly ordering multiple violent acts. Clark has pleaded not guilty; his lawyer hasn’t commented publicly about the case.
Backstory and what’s next
Wedding isn’t new to federal drug charges — records show he previously served time in the U.S. for a cocaine distribution conviction and was released in 2011. Prosecutors contend he later built the organization now under indictment. For now he’s locked down without bail and awaiting the next court dates. With murder and large-scale trafficking charges on the table, the coming months will determine how this high-profile, headline-grabbing saga unfolds.
