NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder representing Canada, stands accused of orchestrating a gruesome murder connected to his suspected involvement in a multi-national drug trafficking network. In an announcement by Attorney General Pam Bondi, it was revealed that authorities have unsealed an indictment against Wedding and ten other co-defendants on federal charges related to the violent killing of a federal witness in Colombia this January.


The shocking indictment alleges that Wedding was the mastermind behind the assassination, intending to eliminate someone who could testify against him in a U.S. court and potentially undermine his extensive drug operations. As a result, the U.S. government is now offering a staggering reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Wedding's arrest, who is reportedly living in Mexico under the protection of the notorious Sinaloa cartel, actively facilitating the distribution of massive amounts of narcotics into Canada and the U.S.


“Whether at the street level or as an international drug kingpin, we will pursue you,” Bondi emphasized, vowing to bring those responsible for drug trafficking and violence to justice.


Wedding, who has been known to use various aliases including “El Jefe,” has been linked to an operation trafficking approximately 60 tons of cocaine annually, primarily shuttled via long-haul trucks between Colombia, Mexico, and North America.


Triggering outrage, the indictment further details the horrifying methodology used: Wedding and his associates allegedly targeted the witness by disseminating his photograph on a Canadian news website, leading to his identification and subsequent murder inside a Medellín restaurant.


Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli stated, “Wedding placed the bounty on the victim's head believing that removing him would secure his legal fate, but he was mistaken.” The U.S. government has additionally placed a $2 million reward on the heads of others involved in this heinous act as efforts continue to apprehend all individuals connected to the murder.