WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, faces new charges related to the murder of a federal witness in a plot to evade extradition to the U.S. The indictment unsealed recently in California tracks Wedding’s orchestration of the January slaying in Medellín, Colombia, a move allegedly designed to protect him from prosecution.
With a $15 million bounty on his head from the FBI, Wedding is listed among the ‘10 Most Wanted’ fugitives and is suspected of residing in Mexico under the auspices of the Sinaloa cartel. According to U.S. authorities, Wedding's operation was capable of trafficking massive quantities of cocaine — approximately 60 tons yearly — between Mexico and the U.S., utilizing long-haul trucks.
The witness was allegedly targeted and subsequently killed in a restaurant setting after being identified through a website publicizing the criminal network. Wedding’s thinking was that the witness's demise would lead to a reduction or dismissal of charges against him and his co-conspirators. Prosecutor Bill Essayli stressed that Wedding's assumptions were flawed, stating, 'He was wrong.'
In addition to the charges against Wedding, ten other individuals have been detained as part of the ongoing investigation. The U.S. government continues to offer rewards of up to $2 million for information leading to the arrests of other accomplices involved in the witness's murder.
With a $15 million bounty on his head from the FBI, Wedding is listed among the ‘10 Most Wanted’ fugitives and is suspected of residing in Mexico under the auspices of the Sinaloa cartel. According to U.S. authorities, Wedding's operation was capable of trafficking massive quantities of cocaine — approximately 60 tons yearly — between Mexico and the U.S., utilizing long-haul trucks.
The witness was allegedly targeted and subsequently killed in a restaurant setting after being identified through a website publicizing the criminal network. Wedding’s thinking was that the witness's demise would lead to a reduction or dismissal of charges against him and his co-conspirators. Prosecutor Bill Essayli stressed that Wedding's assumptions were flawed, stating, 'He was wrong.'
In addition to the charges against Wedding, ten other individuals have been detained as part of the ongoing investigation. The U.S. government continues to offer rewards of up to $2 million for information leading to the arrests of other accomplices involved in the witness's murder.
