FBI offers $10 mln reward for former Olympic snowboarder accused of drug traficking
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding (Photo: Getty Images)
US authorities are offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who is accused of running a multinational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating multiple murders, CNN reports.
The FBI has added the 43-year-old to its Ten Most Wanted list, alleging that he oversaw the distribution of massive quantities of cocaine while ordering the killings of rivals.
“Wedding went from competing on Olympic slopes to running a criminal empire that trafficked tons of cocaine from Colombia and Mexico into the US and Canada,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Investigators say Wedding’s operation moved up to 60 tons of cocaine per year using long-haul trucks and was behind several killings, including the mistaken-identity murder of two family members in Canada.
Wedding, who placed 24th in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Olympics, is now wanted on murder and drug charges. His case comes amid growing calls for tougher penalties against drug traffickers, with some advocating extreme measures - Trump proposes the death penalty for drug trafficking.
