Law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada have dramatically increased the reward for information leading to the capture of former Canadian Olympic athlete Ryan Wedding, raising the potential payout to $15 million. Officials allege that the 44-year-old former snowboarder is the architect of an expansive, billion-dollar international narcotics ring and orchestrated the murder of a federal witness using an elaborate online scheme. Authorities, who have likened him to a contemporary cartel boss, believe Wedding is currently sheltering in Mexico, potentially under the protection of the notorious Sinaloa cartel.
Dismantling an Alleged Cartel Network
The announcement came during a joint U.S.-Canada press briefing where investigators confirmed a new indictment against Wedding and revealed significant progress in the operation, including ten arrests. Seven Canadian nationals were apprehended across Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta this week, facing potential extradition to the U.S. on charges including drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit murder. An eighth suspect remains at large in Canada.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Wedding’s network extended across North America and beyond, allegedly operating as Canada’s chief cocaine supplier and generating revenues exceeding $1 billion annually.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the unprecedented scale of the enterprise rooted in narcotics trafficking and narco-terrorism, affirming that Wedding belongs among the agency’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives.
The Web of Conspiracy: Orchestrated Murder
A crucial element of the new indictment centers on the alleged murder of a federal witness in a case against Wedding. Investigators contend that Wedding initiated the fatal attack by paying C$10,000 to have the witness’s photographs and personal details posted on a fabricated Canadian news website, The Dirty Newz, in October 2024. The purpose, investigators claim, was to facilitate the witness’s location.
Following the online dissemination of the identifying images, the witness was fatally shot at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January. The FBI has since shuttered the illicit website and continues the pursuit of the gunman and the accomplice who helped the shooter evade capture.
Among those recently arrested is Gursewak Singh Bal, 31, who is accused of co-founding The Dirty Newz. Additional counts against Wedding include murder, witness tampering, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
Legal Professionals and Allegations of Illicit Services
The crackdown also ensnared figures allegedly integral to the organization’s operation. Canadian lawyer Deepak Balwant Paradkar was arrested and accused by the U.S. Treasury of facilitating illicit services that went far beyond typical attorney-client boundaries. The accusations suggest Paradkar received luxury watches and exorbitant fees for his work.
A newly unsealed indictment further claims Paradkar advised Wedding and a close associate to authorize the murder of the key federal witness, reportedly to avoid extradition proceedings from Mexico.
These latest arrests and the heightened reward signal the intensified determination of transnational authorities to dismantle what they regard as one of the largest modern drug syndicates originating from Canada. Investigations into the individuals directly involved in the witness’s slaying remain active. Anyone with information on Ryan Wedding’s whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI immediately.