Seven Canadians have been taken into custody for extradition to the United States in a sweeping drug trafficking investigation connected to fugitive former Olympian Ryan Wedding, a onetime member of Canada’s Olympic snowboard team who is now accused of running a violent transnational criminal network.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme appeared in Washington alongside U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and senior American officials to announce the arrests. Canadian suspects from Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta were rounded up this week as part of the joint probe.
U.S. indictments allege that Wedding conspired to transport large quantities of cocaine across the Canada–U.S. border and was involved in ordering the January 2025 murder of a U.S. federal witness in Colombia. Authorities believe Wedding is currently hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The U.S. State Department has increased the reward for information leading to his capture to USD $15 million, underscoring the international urgency surrounding the case.
Linked to Brampton and Caledon Triple Murders
According to the FBI, Wedding and another Canadian, Andrew Clark, ordered the killings of Caledon couple Jagtar Singh and Harbhajan Kaur, as well as Brampton resident Mohammed Zafar, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment. The OPP has stated that the victims were mistakenly targeted and were not the intended individuals.
Last year, investigators named 16 defendants in the broader case, including 10 Canadians. Among those recently arrested are Brampton residents Hardeep Ratte, Iqbal Singh Virk, and Ranjit Singh Rowal, confirmed by the United States Attorney’s Office.
Wedding is no stranger to U.S. law enforcement. He was convicted in 2010 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and served a federal sentence. Authorities say he returned to drug trafficking after his release and has been deeply entrenched in cartel activity in Mexico.
Once a promising athlete, Wedding competed for Canada in the Parallel Giant Slalom at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, placing 24th — his only Olympic appearance.
More developments in the multinational investigation are expected.