WASHINGTON D.C. – United States authorities have unsealed a new indictment against fugitive former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, charging him with orchestrating the murder of a federal witness. The announcement, made on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, in Washington D.C., adds another layer to an international investigation into what officials call one of the world's most violent and prolific drug-trafficking organizations.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Wedding, 44, also known by aliases such as “El Jefe” and “Public Enemy,” is accused of tracking down and ordering the killing of a witness in Colombia who was set to testify against him. The witness, identified in reports as Canadian citizen Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, was fatally shot in a restaurant in Medellín in January 2025. The indictment alleges Wedding placed a multi-million dollar bounty on Acebedo-Garcia.

The charges were announced as part of “Operation Giant Slalom,” a multi-national law enforcement effort that has so far led to the indictment of 35 individuals and the arrest of 10 suspects this week across several countries. Among those arrested is Deepak Balwant Paradkar, a 62-year-old lawyer from Ontario, Canada. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli alleged that Paradkar advised Wedding that killing the witness would lead to the dismissal of the case against him. “His lawyer told him, ‘If you kill this witness, the case will be dismissed.’ That lawyer is now in custody,” Essayli said at the press conference.

Another key arrest was that of Atna Onha, 40, also known as “Tupac,” in Montreal. Onha, described by authorities as an influential figure in Montreal's organized crime scene, faces charges of murder conspiracy and is pending extradition to the United States.

A Global Narcotics Enterprise

According to U.S. authorities, Wedding’s organization is responsible for trafficking vast quantities of cocaine—estimated at 60 metric tons annually—from Colombia through Mexico and into Southern California for distribution across the United States and Canada. The operation allegedly utilized a sophisticated network, including long-haul trucks, and laundered proceeds using cryptocurrency. To date, investigations have seized over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine, numerous weapons, $3.2 million in cryptocurrency, and $13 million in physical assets.

Wedding, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, has been a fugitive for over a decade and was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025. The U.S. State Department has increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to $15 million. He is believed to be residing in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The indictment alleges that Wedding and his associates used a Canadian website called “The Dirty News” to post photographs of Acebedo-Garcia to help assassins locate him. The co-founder of the website, Gursewak Singh Bal, was also arrested in connection with the plot.

Implications for East Africa

While this specific trafficking network does not have publicly confirmed direct links to Kenya or East Africa, the case highlights the global nature of transnational organized crime, a significant threat to the region. East Africa, including Kenya, is a major transit hub for narcotics, particularly cocaine and heroin, moving from production zones in South America and Asia to consumer markets in Europe. A 2022 report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime noted that Kenya's ports and airports are key transit points for cocaine.

The methods employed by Wedding's organization—such as the use of sophisticated logistics, corruption of professionals, and extreme violence—are hallmarks of criminal syndicates that operate in and through East Africa. These groups exploit weak governance and collude with local officials to facilitate their illicit activities, undermining security, economic development, and the rule of law across the region. The ENACT Organised Crime Index of 2021 ranked East Africa as the highest on the continent for the penetration and threat of transnational organized crime. The dismantling of a major global player like Wedding's syndicate can disrupt supply chains, but the underlying vulnerabilities in regions like East Africa mean that new networks often emerge to fill the void.

The international cooperation demonstrated in “Operation Giant Slalom,” involving law enforcement from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Colombia, serves as a model for the cross-border collaboration required to effectively combat the criminal networks that also threaten Kenya and its neighbours.