Olympic Snowboarder Charged in Witness Murder Plot

Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding faces federal charges for allegedly ordering the murder of a witness in a 2024 narcotics case, as U.S. authorities announced a series of arrests targeting his international drug trafficking network this week. The 44-year-old Wedding, who competed for Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, remains at large and is believed to be directing operations from Mexico in collaboration with the Sinaloa Cartel.

The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice detailed the charges as part of an investigation dubbed Operation Giant Slalom, which has led to the arrest of 11 individuals this week, including seven Canadians, one Colombian, and others from various locations. Wedding is accused of overseeing a violent organization that traffics approximately 60 metric tons of cocaine annually into the United States and Canada, generating over $1 billion in illegal proceeds each year. Prosecutors describe the enterprise as one of the most prolific and dangerous in the world, with Wedding allegedly responsible for dozens of murders globally to protect his interests.

A key incident cited in the charges involves the January...