A wanted poster shows Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding at the Department of Justice in Washington on Wednesday.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who was among the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives, has been arrested in Mexico, according to authorities on Friday.
The RCMP has been intermittently investigating Mr. Wedding since at least 2006. It issued an arrest warrant in 2015, but has not laid more recent charges against him.
Since July, 2023, the RCMP and the FBI have been collaborating on a probe known as Operation Giant Slalom. Since then, about 30 individuals have been arrested or are being sought under U.S. laws, according to indictments filed in California. At least 12 accused have been arrested by police in Canada. Most of them are now fighting extradition.
Here’s a breakdown of the former Team Canada Olympian, the charges against him and why he is alleged to be one of North America’s most significant criminal overlords. This information is based on court documents filed in the U.S. and Canada, which contain allegations that haven’t been tested in court.
Who is Ryan Wedding?
Mr. Wedding, who competed for Canada as a snowboarder at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list since March.
A timeline of Ryan Wedding’s shift from Olympic snowboarder to alleged drug kingpin and FBI fugitive
The 43-year-old from Thunder Bay is wanted for allegedly leading an organized crime group that moved large shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and California to Canada and other locations in the United States. Police on both sides of the border have alleged that Mr. Wedding has been sheltered by the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico, which was recently designated a terrorist group by the Canadian and U.S. governments.
Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding’s alleged drug trafficking organization
An organizational chart prepared by U.S. law enforcement agencies showing what prosecutors allege is an international criminal network responsible for drug trafficking and violence in Canada, the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.
Alleged human
connections
Alleged business
connections
Protector
Owner / director
Attorney
Associated with
Relationship
Money laundering
Ryan Wedding
RELATIONSHIP
Miryam Andrea
Castillo Moreno
(Wife)
Carmen Yelinet
Valoyes Florez
(Madam)
Daniela Alejandra
Acuna Macias
(Girlfriend)
PROTECTOR
ATTORNEY
Edgar Aaron
Vazquez Alvarado
(’The General’)
Deepak
Balwant
Paradkar
VRG Energeticos
S.A. de C.V.
Grupo RVG
Combustibles
S.A. de C.V.
Grupo Ares
Imperial S.
de R.L. de C.V.
MONEY LAUNDERING
Rolan
Sokolovski
Gianluca
Tiepolo
John Anthony
Fallon
2351885
Ontario
Inc. d.b.a.
Diamond Tsar
Stile Italiano
S.R.L.
LMJ Trading
Ltd.
Windrose
Tactical
S.R.L.S.
Made in
Italy Motor
-cycles Ltd.
TMR Ltd.
Cristian
Diana
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding’s alleged drug trafficking organization
An organizational chart prepared by U.S. law enforcement agencies showing what prosecutors allege is an international criminal network responsible for drug trafficking and violence in Canada, the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.
Alleged human
connections
Alleged business
connections
Relationship
Owner / director
Protector
Associated with
Attorney
Money laundering
Ryan Wedding
RELATIONSHIP
Miryam Andrea
Castillo Moreno
(Wife)
Daniela Alejandra
Acuna Macias
(Girlfriend)
Carmen Yelinet
Valoyes Florez
(Madam)
PROTECTOR
ATTORNEY
Edgar Aaron
Vazquez Alvarado
(’The General’)
Deepak
Balwant
Paradkar
VRG Energeticos
S.A. de C.V.
Grupo RVG
Combustibles
S.A. de C.V.
Grupo Ares
Imperial S.
de R.L. de C.V.
MONEY LAUNDERING
Rolan
Sokolovski
Gianluca
Tiepolo
John Anthony
Fallon
2351885
Ontario
Inc. d.b.a.
Diamond Tsar
Stile Italiano
S.R.L.
LMJ Trading
Ltd.
Windrose
Tactical
S.R.L.S.
Made in
Italy Motor
-cycles Ltd.
TMR Ltd.
Cristian
Diana
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE:
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding’s alleged drug trafficking organization
An organizational chart prepared by U.S. law enforcement agencies showing what prosecutors allege is an international criminal network responsible for drug trafficking and violence in Canada, the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.
Alleged human
connections
Alleged business
connections
Protector
Owner / director
Attorney
Associated with
Relationship
Money
laundering
Ryan Wedding
PROTECTOR
ATTORNEY
RELATIONSHIP
MONEY LAUNDERING
Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarado
(’The General’)
Deepak Balwant Paradkar
Miryam Andrea Castillo Moreno
(Wife)
Rolan
Sokolovski
Gianluca
Tiepolo
John Anthony
Fallon
VRG Energeticos
S.A. de C.V.
2351885
Ontario
Inc. d.b.a.
Diamond Tsar
Stile Italiano
S.R.L.
LMJ Trading
Ltd.
Daniela Alejandra Acuna Macias
(Girlfriend)
Grupo RVG
Combustibles
S.A. de C.V.
Windrose
Tactical
S.R.L.S.
Made in
Italy Motor
-cycles Ltd.
Grupo Ares
Imperial S.
de R.L. de C.V.
TMR Ltd.
Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez
(Madam)
Cristian
Diana
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Mr. Wedding – whose aliases include “El Jefe” and “Public Enemy” – is also wanted for allegedly orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder.
“Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar. He is a modern-day iteration of El Chapo,” FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters on Wednesday.
Commissioner Duheme estimated that the Wedding organization makes more than $1-billion per year.
What charges does Ryan Wedding face in the U.S.?
Mr. Wedding is facing eight felony charges, including conspiracy to export cocaine, three counts of murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and one count of attempted murder.
U.S. indictments for Wedding’s arrest allege he conspired to bring bulk amounts of cocaine into the United States and Canada. It alleges Wedding was also involved in violence and murder to maintain his drug ring.
The U.S. Treasury Department also announced on Wednesday that it is sanctioning Mr. Wedding, his alleged accomplices and is seizing millions of dollars from them. Authorities have also increased the reward for information leading to Mr. Wedding’s arrest from $10-million to $15-million.
Mr. Wedding and his accomplices allegedly made extensive use of cryptocurrency, including the stablecoin Tether and the cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin, to launder the proceeds of a sprawling drug-trafficking operation – as outlined in a U.S. indictment made public last week.
How the alleged money
laundering worked
Documents filed by U.S. prosecutors detail how Ryan Wedding and several co-conspirators allegedly used tether (USDT), a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, to launder the proceeds of cocaine sales. Authorities allege that in order to obscure the source of the funds, members of the money-laundering network would use tether to break large amounts of money into smaller portions, then quickly move the money through intermediary tether wallets before the funds reached a hub tether wallet controlled by Mr. Wedding.
SELECTED TRANSACTIONS MADE IN 2024
1
4
Rasheed
Pascua
Hossain
Ryan
Wedding
2
5
3
Andrew
Clark
Intermediary
Bianca
Canastillo-
Madrid
1
Between April 29, and Oct. 8:
Rasheed Pascua Hossain used a tether wallet to send 98.86% of its total funds, that is 207,808,779 USDT, to Ryan Wedding's tether wallet.
Between June 14, and Oct. 1:
Rasheed Pascua Hossain sent 3,091,001.13 USDT to one of Bianca Canastillo-Madrid’s TRON wallets.
2
Between July 9, and Nov. 5:
Defendant Bianca Canastillo-Madrid received 507,078 USDT to her two TRON wallets from a tether wallet controlled by Andrew Clark.
3
Between July 12, and Sept. 11:
Bianca Canastillo-Madrid received 640,367 USDT to her two TRON wallets from Ryan Wedding’s tether wallet.
4
5
Between Aug. 15, and Sept. 7:
Ryan Wedding sent 564,571 USDT to an intermediary to purchase 300 kilograms of cocaine from defendant Wilson Riascos in Colombia.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
How the alleged money laundering worked
Documents filed by U.S. prosecutors detail how Ryan Wedding and several co-conspirators allegedly used tether (USDT), a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, to launder the proceeds of cocaine sales. Authorities allege that in order to obscure the source of the funds, members of the money-laundering network would use tether to break large amounts of money into smaller portions, then quickly move the money through intermediary tether wallets before the funds reached a hub tether wallet controlled by Mr. Wedding.
SELECTED TRANSACTIONS MADE IN 2024
1
4
Rasheed
Pascua
Hossain
Ryan
Wedding
2
5
3
Andrew
Clark
Intermediary
Bianca
Canastillo-
Madrid
Between April 29, and Oct. 8:
Rasheed Pascua Hossain used a tether wallet to send 98.86% of its total funds, that is 207,808,779 USDT, to Ryan Wedding's tether wallet.
1
Between June 14, and Oct. 1:
Rasheed Pascua Hossain sent 3,091,001.13 USDT to one of Bianca Canastillo-Madrid’s TRON wallets.
2
Between July 9, and Nov. 5:
Defendant Bianca Canastillo-Madrid received 507,078 USDT to her two TRON wallets from a tether wallet controlled by Andrew Clark.
3
Between July 12, and Sept. 11:
Bianca Canastillo-Madrid received 640,367 USDT to her two TRON wallets from Ryan Wedding’s tether wallet.
4
Between Aug. 15, and Sept. 7:
Ryan Wedding sent 564,571 USDT to an intermediary to purchase 300 kilograms of cocaine from defendant Wilson Riascos in Colombia.
5
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
How the alleged money laundering worked
Documents filed by U.S. prosecutors detail how Ryan Wedding and several co-conspirators allegedly used tether (USDT), a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar, to launder the proceeds of cocaine sales. Authorities allege that in order to obscure the source of the funds, members of the money-laundering network would use tether to break large amounts of money into smaller portions, then quickly move the money through intermediary tether wallets before the funds reached a hub tether wallet controlled by Mr. Wedding.
SELECTED TRANSACTIONS MADE IN 2024
Rasheed
Pascua Hossain
Between April 29, and Oct. 8:
Rasheed Pascua Hossain used a tether wallet to send 98.86% of its total funds, that is 207,808,779 USDT, to Ryan Wedding's tether wallet.
Ryan
Wedding
Between June 14, and Oct. 1:
Rasheed Pascua Hossain sent 3,091,001.13 USDT to one of Bianca Canastillo-Madrid’s TRON wallets.
Between July 9, and Nov. 5:
Defendant Bianca Canastillo-Madrid received 507,078 USDT to her two TRON wallets from a tether wallet controlled by Andrew Clark.
Bianca
Canastillo-
Madrid
Between July 12, and Sept. 11:
Bianca Canastillo-Madrid received 640,367 USDT to her two TRON wallets from Ryan Wedding’s tether wallet.
Andrew
Clark
Between Aug. 15, and Sept. 7:
Ryan Wedding sent 564,571 USDT to an intermediary to purchase 300 kilograms of cocaine from defendant Wilson Riascos in Colombia.
Intermediary
Note: The image above represents a portion of the transactions depicted in the indictment.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
None of the allegations or charges have been tested in court.
What charges does Ryan Wedding face in Canada?
Mr. Wedding and another Canadian citizen, who was arrested by Mexican authorities in October, are accused of directing the Nov. 20, 2023, murders of two members of a family in Caledon, Ont., in what police have alleged was a plot to retaliate for a stolen drug shipment. Ontario Provincial Police have said the family was “completely innocent” and mistakenly targeted.
Two murders in Ontario’s Niagara and Peel regions last year were also connected to the alleged drug ring, police allege.
Mr. Wedding also faces separate “unresolved” drug trafficking charges in Canada that date back to 2015, the RCMP said in October.
The RCMP has said it worked with the FBI for over a year to investigate the alleged criminal network. Various law enforcement agencies across Canada, U.S., Mexico and Colombia assisted the investigation.
What are the details of Ryan Wedding’s arrest so far?
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations Director Kash Patel said in a statement on social media that Mr. Wedding “was taken into custody in Mexico last night,” calling his arrest the result of “tremendous co-operation and teamwork” with the Mexican government.
“This is a huge day for a safer North America, and the world, and a message that those who break our laws and harm our citizens will be brought to justice,” he said on X.
U.S. Attorney-General Pam Bondi said on social media that Mr. Wedding “was flown to the United States where he will face justice.”
A statement from the Mexican government said a Canadian citizen had “voluntarily” turned himself in at the United States embassy in Mexico on Thursday.
What other arrests have been made?
Seven people from Canada were arrested in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, including a lawyer who allegedly provided illegal services to Mr. Wedding and two others are wanted. U.S. authorities have said that 10 people total were arrested earlier this week as part of the international takedown.
Who are the Canadians facing charges connected to Ryan Wedding?
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said Canadian police arrested seven out of eight individuals the Mounties were seeking with alleged ties to the Wedding network and all of the suspects arrested in Canada are to be tried in the U.S. The charges they face include conspiracy to commit murder and drug trafficking.
The individuals charged in Canada are:
- Deepak Paradkar
- Atna Onha
- Rolan Sokolovski
- Allistair Chapman
- Ahmad Nabil Zitoun
- Gursewak Singh Bal
- Edwin Basora-Hernandez
- Tommy Demorizi, who is not in custody
- Rasheed Pascua Hossain, who is not in custody
Canadian lawyer Deepak Paradkar was among those arrested on Tuesday, officials said. Mr. Paradkar faces the same U.S. conspiracy charges, including murder conspiracy charges, as several of the other arrested Canadians, officials said.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Mr. Paradkar was a member of Mr. Wedding’s criminal enterprise and provided a range of illegal services to him and his drug-trafficking organization that went “beyond the scope of a normal attorney-client relationship.” Investigators say he introduced Mr. Wedding to the drug traffickers who moved his cocaine, and has also helped him arrange bribes.
The joint announcement on Wednesday follows the arrest of Atna Onha, a Montreal man charged with murder conspiracy, who the U.S. is seeking to extradite, amid media reports that his case is related to international drug-trafficking allegations against Mr. Wedding.
The total number of those arrested and sought in connection with the Wedding network is now more than 30, officials said.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Seven Canadians have been arrested for extradition to the United States in relation to a drug trafficking probe involving Ryan Wedding, a former Team Canada Olympian turned fugitive. Wedding is believed to be hiding in Mexico and the U.S. State Department has increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to US$15-million.
The Canadian Press
With reports from Colin Freeze, Eric Andrew-Gee and The Canadian Press.