The Decibel Alleged drug trafficking, murders and an Olympian-turned-fugitive
12 snips
Nov 25, 2025 Eric Andrew-Gee, Quebec correspondent for The Globe and Mail and investigative crime reporter, dives into the shocking case of Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder turned fugitive tied to a $1 billion drug-trafficking ring. The discussion covers Wedding's transformation from athlete to alleged kingpin and his connections with dangerous criminal networks. Eric reveals how informants and police investigations have intensified in recent years, highlighting the efforts to capture Wedding and the implications of his alleged actions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Olympian To Nightclub Circles
- Ryan Wedding rose from competitive snowboarding to Team Canada and competed in the 2002 Olympics before his career faded.
- He transitioned into nightlife work in Vancouver where he encountered criminal networks that pulled him into drug activity.
Caught In A 2008 FBI Sting
- In 2008 an FBI sting in Southern California caught Wedding attempting to buy 24 kilos of cocaine and he was convicted.
- He served about four years in U.S. federal prison before deportation to Canada in 2011.
Montreal Became His Trafficking Base
- After his U.S. sentence, Wedding allegedly became a more ambitious trafficker based in Montreal, a global cocaine hub.
- He is accused of coordinating large-scale imports in collaboration with the Sinaloa Cartel.