Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder facing charges of drug trafficking and murder, appeared in federal court in California on Monday for his initial hearing. The 44-year-old Canadian, arrested in Mexico City last week and extradited to Southern California, entered not guilty pleas to two indictments. Authorities added him to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives list nearly a year ago.
FBI Director Kash Patel described Wedding as ‘a modern-day El Chapo’ and ‘a modern-day Pablo Escobar, who thought he could evade justice.’ Operation Giant Slalom, a multinational investigation involving law enforcement from North and South America, uncovered what prosecutors describe as a billion-dollar drug trafficking organization led by Wedding.
Wedding’s attorney, Anthony Colombo, clarified to reporters that his client was arrested and did not surrender voluntarily. The 2002 Olympian, who competed in the parallel giant slalom at the Salt Lake City Games, first faced arrest in 2008 for attempting to purchase cocaine from a federal agent. Convicted in 2009, he served time until his release in 2011. Investigators claim that post-release, Wedding established an extensive international network smuggling large quantities of drugs across continents.
Prosecutors also accuse Wedding of orchestrating multiple murders to safeguard his operations. These include the fatal shooting of Canadian couple Jagtar and Harbhajan Sidhu in a mistaken identity incident, witnessed by their 28-year-old daughter Jaspreet Kaur, who sustained permanent injuries. Additional victims include Mohammad Afar, killed over a drug debt, and Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, an alleged former associate turned federal witness, shot at a restaurant in Medellín.
Key Alleged Co-Conspirators
Several individuals linked to Wedding’s purported network face charges or sanctions. Some remain in Canadian custody pending extradition, while others, including women identified as his wife and girlfriend, are prohibited from entering the United States. All accused individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Miryam Andrea Castillo Moreno
A 34-year-old from Nuevo León, Mexico, Castillo Moreno is identified by the U.S. Treasury Department as Wedding’s wife, having married him during his 2011 incarceration. The department sanctioned her for alleged money laundering activities. She has not been arrested in connection with Operation Giant Slalom, and her current location is unknown. Previously, she worked as a hostess at sporting events and posted glamorous images on social media, now deleted. It remains unclear if she maintains ties with Wedding or his alleged girlfriend, Daniela Acuna.
Daniela Alejandra Acuna Macias
This 23-year-old from Barranquilla, Colombia, is Wedding’s alleged girlfriend, sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury and barred from the U.S. Authorities state she received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Wedding, aware from the outset that the funds stemmed from violent narcotics trafficking. She allegedly helped gather intelligence on Wedding’s rivals. Acuna was reportedly introduced to Wedding by Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, a prominent figure in Mexico City’s escort scene.
Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez
A 47-year-old Colombian national, Valoyes operates a high-end escort service in Mexico City. Authorities credit her with assisting Wedding in locating Acebedo-Garcia, who was subsequently murdered. She was among 10 individuals arrested in November as part of Operation Giant Slalom. Her current status and legal representation details are pending confirmation from the Department of Justice.
Deepak Balwant Paradkar
Known as the ‘Cocaine Lawyer’ and using aliases like ‘Descartes,’ this 62-year-old dual Indian-Canadian barrister represented Wedding in his 2024 indictment. Arrested in November, Paradkar faces accusations of advising Wedding to eliminate a federal witness. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated that Paradkar told Wedding, ‘If you kill this witness [Acebedo-Garcia], the case would be dismissed.’ The Treasury Department sanctioned him for facilitating connections to drug traffickers, allowing Wedding to eavesdrop on client discussions, and accepting luxury watches as payment. Paradkar is resisting extradition to the U.S.
Andrew Clark
Dubbed ‘El Dictador,’ the 34-year-old Canadian, previously an elevator mechanic and landlord, faces charges including drug trafficking and four murders in Ontario, such as the Sidhu family killings. Extradited from Mexico last year among 29 suspects, he pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege he operated under Sinaloa cartel protection, similar to Wedding. The shooter in the Sidhu case remains at large.
Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarad
Former Mexican law enforcement officer nicknamed ‘The General,’ Vazquez allegedly provided protection for Wedding in Mexico and aided in targeting individuals. The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned him for these activities.
Rolan Sokolovski
A 37-year-old Canadian poker player, Sokolovski managed drug proceeds through cryptocurrency, jewelry, and luxury assets via his business, Diamond Tsar. Known as ‘the Jew’ among associates, he was arrested in November and contests extradition. The Department of Justice labels him a flight risk due to his access to vast cryptocurrency and valuables. His attorney, Scott Fenton, noted that Sokolovski has not fled despite opportunities and is awaiting a February 20 bail ruling. He has not entered a plea.
Rasheed Pascua Hossain and Bianca Canastillo-Madrid
These fugitives, a Canadian and a Mexican respectively, face accusations of laundering funds for Wedding’s network and remain at large.
Gursewak Singh Bal
Co-founder of the now-seized website The Dirty News, Bal allegedly accepted $10,000 to post a photo of Acebedo-Garcia on Instagram to aid in his location and murder. His post read: ‘This guy single handedly [ratted] out one of the strongest underworld networks that this [world] has seen…Good chance he’ll never be found again.’ Bal has not responded to the charges and may face extradition.
Malik Damion Cunningham
This 23-year-old Canadian is accused of executing a 2024 murder of a drug trafficker on Clark’s orders. After his arrest, police recovered ammunition, over $100,000, and four phones. Prosecutors claim Clark arranged military training in Mexico for Cunningham and supplied him with weapons and a getaway vehicle. A message from Cunningham to Clark stated, ‘I am what you call now ELITE thanks to you brother.’ Cunningham has been in custody for 13 months without entering a plea, pending extradition proceedings.
Seizures from the operation include substantial quantities of cocaine, highlighting the scale of the alleged enterprise detailed by the U.S. Treasury in November.
