FBI trails accused violent drug trafficker Ryan Wedding

An Olympic snowboarder accused of orchestrating murders while running a transnational drug trafficking enterprise is continuing to evade authorities.

The FBI recently released a new photo of Wedding in an effort to catch up to the former Coquitlam resident who should be considered armed and dangerous, according to a release from the FBI.

A previous photo distributed by the FBI was taken 11 years earlier for Wedding’s driver’s licence, according to reporting by CBC.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for the former Coquitlam resident on Sept. 17 in United States District Court. However, while many of his accused co-conspirators have been arrested in recent months, Wedding – who may be residing in Mexico – has avoided capture.

Wedding allegedly led an organization that shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico into Southern California, where it was distributed to Canada and across the United States, as well as overseas.

After getting the cocaine from Mexico to Los Angeles, the network would store the shipments in stash houses before packing it into long-haul semi-trucks and ferrying it over the border into Canada, according to an indictment from the United States Department of Justice.

The organization committed “greed-driven crimes” from Colombia to Canada, stated Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge Matthew Allen in a release.

“They have triggered an avalanche of violent crimes, including brutal murders. Wedding, the Olympian snowboarder, went from navigating slopes to contouring a life of incessant crimes,” Allen stated.

Wedding is linked to several murders including the November 2023 killing of Jagtar Sidhu and his wife, Harbhajan Sidhu. Police called the crime a case of mistaken identity, according to reporting by The Province.

If convicted, Wedding would face life in federal prison, according to U.S. Department of Justice.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the apprehension, arrest, and extradition of Ryan James Wedding; also known as James Conrad King and Jesse King.

Anyone with information on Wedding’s whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI.