DOJ, FBI and international partners unseal indictment, allege global trafficking network led by Ryan James Wedding

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice has unsealed a new indictment charging Ryan James Wedding with two additional counts of witness tampering and intimidation, murder, money laundering and drug trafficking, and said the effort is part of a broad interagency and international operation to dismantle a transnational criminal enterprise.

Bondi told reporters the accused, a former Olympic-level snowboarder now alleged to lead an international trafficking network, is on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list. "Protecting federal witnesses from retaliation is core to the department's mission," she said, adding that the murder of a cooperating witness in Medellín in January 2025 was part of the charges.

Why this matters: DOJ officials framed the announcement as the result of a multinational, months-long investigation that they say disrupted a high-volume cocaine distribution operation, included arrests in Canada, and led to seizures intended to deny the network access to U.S. financial markets.

The criminal case and evidence presented: Bill Asali, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said the unsealed indictment charges Wedding and 14 other defendants in connection with the January 2025 murder of a witness who, officials said, was shot five times in the head at a Medellín restaurant. Asali said law enforcement arrested 12 people in an international takedown and identified a Canadian lawyer named Deepak Paradkar among those taken into custody; prosecutors intend to seek extradition to the Central District of California for prosecution.

Officials gave quantitative details they said were tied to the investigation: the attorney general and other speakers alleged the organization imported about 60 metric tons of cocaine a year into Los Angeles, that more than 35 individuals have been indicted in the wider probe (bringing the total to roughly 36), that law enforcement seized over 2,000 kilograms of drugs in related actions, recovered about $3,200,000 in cryptocurrency and confiscated more than $13,000,000 in physical assets. The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also announced sanctions aimed at cutting the network off from the U.S. and international financial systems.

International cooperation and arrests: Mike Duhaime, commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said Canadian authorities arrested seven people in provinces including Quebec, Ontario and Alberta and continue to seek one additional person. Duhaime said the arrests followed intelligence-sharing under an operation the agencies call "Operation Giant Slalom," and that the Canadians will face extradition proceedings in Canadian courts before possible transfer to the United States.

Public rewards and investigative appeals: Chris Landberg of the State Department said the U.S. increased its reward for information leading to Wedding’s capture from $10,000,000 to $15,000,000 and is also offering up to $2,000,000 for information on suspects in the Medellín killing. Akhil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division displayed photographs and a physical description of the fugitive, urging anyone with tips to contact FBI tip lines and warning the public not to approach the suspect.

What’s next: Officials said those arrested will be processed through their respective legal systems and that extradition timelines are governed by courts. DOJ emphasized that the investigation remains active and that additional arrests, charges and seizures could follow.

Direct quotes from officials in this announcement include Attorney General Bondi: "Protecting federal witnesses from retaliation is core to the department's mission," Director Patel: "You do not get to be a drug kingpin and evade the law," and U.S. Attorney Bill Asali: "Your days are numbered. Our agents and prosecutors will relentlessly pursue you and anyone who assists you."

The Department of Justice said the case will proceed in the Central District of California and that officials will continue to work with Canadian, Colombian, Mexican and other partners on arrests, extraditions and legal actions.