Ex-Olympic snowboarder accused of running killer drug cartel

A Canadian snowboarder who previously competed in the Olympic Games is wanted by authorities for allegedly running a violent drug cartel that committed murder and trafficked tonnes of Colombian cocaine from Mexico to the US and Canada.

Fugitive Ryan Wedding, 43, is charged as the lead suspect alongside 15 other suspects, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a joint statement with Canada's Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Thursday.

Investigators say Mr Wedding allegedly ordered the murders of three people, including an innocent Ontario couple who were killed in a case of mistaken identity in 2023.

Mr Wedding, who competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games, is believed to be on the run in Mexico, officials say.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 (£38,000) for his arrest, and warns that he "should be considered armed and dangerous".

Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Los Angeles, said Mr Wedding and his alleged accomplices "have triggered an avalanche of violent crimes, including brutal murders".

He added that Wedding "went from navigating slopes to contouring a life of incessant crimes".

Mr Wedding, whose nicknames allegedly include "El Jefe", "Giant" and "Public Enemy", is charged with eight felonies, including drug trafficking, three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Officials allege that he, along with fellow Canadian citizen Andrew Clarke, run “a Canada-based drug transportation network” which uses trucks and stash houses to transport Colombian cocaine from Mexico to the US and Canada.

Officials say the gang was also responsible for several shootings in the Peel Region, a municipality in the Greater Toronto Area.

Mugshot of Ryan Wedding. He has long light brown hair, a moustache and short beard, and blue eyes