Ex-Olympic snowboarder on the run as he faces drug trafficking, murder allegations, officials say

Ryan Wedding, a erstwhile Canadian Olympic snowboarder, was charged Thursday with moving a cocaine trafficking ringing crossed the Americas and sidesplitting respective people, officials said.

Wedding is simply a Canadian national and is considered a fugitive, the FBI said. 

The bureau offered a $50,000 reward for accusation starring to the apprehension and extradition of the 43-year-old erstwhile athlete. Prosecutors said he’s charged successful the U.S. with moving a transgression enterprise, murder, conspiring to administer cocaine and different crimes. 

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An representation of erstwhile Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, 43, who is simply a fugitive and has been charged with moving and participating successful a transnational cause trafficking operation, is displayed connected a video show on with bricks of cocaine during a quality league astatine the FBI offices successful Los Angeles Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Canada's Ryan Wedding astatine the 2002 Olympics. (Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images)

"He chose to go a large cause trafficker, and helium chose to go a killer," Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney successful Los Angeles, told reporters.

Wedding’s radical is accused of moving ample shipments of cocaine from Colombia done Mexico and California to Canada and different locations successful the U.S. utilizing long-haul semi-trucks. He’s 1 of 16 radical charged successful the alleged ringing accused of moving 60 tons of cocaine each year.

Estrada said 4 of them stay fugitives.

"The Wedding Drug Trafficking Organization and its unremitting, callous and greed-driven crimes has been operating for acold excessively long, spanning respective countries, from Colombia done Mexico, the U.S. and to Canada," DEA Special Agent successful Charge Matthew Allen said, via TMZ Sports.

"They person triggered an avalanche of convulsive crimes, including brutal murders. Wedding, the Olympian snowboarder, went from navigating slopes to contouring a beingness of incessant crimes."

United States Attorney Martin Estrada, astatine podium, smiles arsenic he's joined by federal, section and planetary officials to denote national charges and arrests of alleged members of a transnational cause trafficking cognition that allegedly shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, done Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and different locations successful the United States, during a quality league astatine the FBI offices successful Los Angeles Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.  (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

NEW JERSEY DETECTIVE KILLED DURING HOME INVASION: 'TRULY DEVASTATING'

Two members of a household successful Canada were killed successful retaliation for a stolen cause shipment successful what officials said was a lawsuit of mistaken identity, U.S. authorities alleged. Cocaine, weapons, ammunition, currency and much than $3 cardinal successful cryptocurrency was seized during the investigation, authorities said.

Wedding, who competed successful the 2002 Winter Olympics successful Salt Lake City for Canada, faces different charges successful Canada successful narration to alleged cause trafficking that dates backmost to 2015, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather said.

Wedding was antecedently convicted successful the U.S. of conspiracy to administer cocaine, and helium was sentenced to situation successful 2010, according to national records. 

Estrada said U.S. authorities judge that aft Wedding’s release, helium resumed cause trafficking. He added that officials judge he’s being protected by the Sinaloa Cartel successful Mexico.

Chris Leather, main superintendent with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, announces national charges and arrests of alleged members of a transnational cause trafficking cognition accused of shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia done Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and different locations successful the United States, during a quality league astatine the FBI offices successful Los Angeles Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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He’s alleged to person aliases specified arsenic "El Jefe" and "Public Enemy," prosecutors said, via the Los Angeles Times.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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