Record Toronto-area drug bust may be linked to fugitive ex-Olympian Ryan Wedding

Thomas Daigle · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

A caller record-setting $50-million cocaine seizure by constabulary successful the Toronto country whitethorn beryllium connected to erstwhile Olympic snowboarder turned alleged transgression brag Ryan Wedding, a CBC News probe has found.

Peel Regional Police said past week the cocaine bust – the biggest specified seizure successful the agency's past – came aft investigators discovered a transgression web exploiting commercialized trucking routes to determination drugs crossed the U.S. border into Canada.

The smuggling routes outlined by constabulary reflector those that U.S. prosecutors person linked to the murderous cause ringing allegedly led by Wedding, 1 of the FBI's 10 astir wanted fugitives. The web is accused of routinely shipping tons of Colombian cocaine from Mexico to U.S. and Canadian destinations.

"The likelihood of what's happening present successful Peel being traced backmost to an enactment similar that is precise high," Peel constabulary Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich told CBC.

He said it's "very likely" Wedding's web remains progressive successful the suburban country westbound of Toronto, a cardinal logistics hub for cardinal Canada. 

Wedding, who competed for Canada arsenic a snowboarder astatine the 2002 Olympic Games successful Utah, is believed to beryllium surviving successful Mexico nether the extortion of the notorious Sinaloa cartel. He was among 16 men charged past twelvemonth successful a U.S. national indictment that sought to dismantle what U.S. authorities called the "Wedding Drug Trafficking Organization."

Wedding's apical lieutenant, chap Canadian Andrew Clark, was arrested successful Mexico past twelvemonth and aboriginal transferred to U.S. custody. 

Still, U.S. prosecutors said earlier this twelvemonth that Wedding, 43, "continues to postulation drugs portion successful hiding" and warned helium inactive has entree to a "network of hitmen."

The RCMP besides precocious confirmed to CBC "elements of his network" stay successful spot successful Canada.

Wedding and Clark look execution charges tied to 4 deaths successful Ontario, including an "execution-style" shooting implicit a cause debt, and the mistaken-identity killings of a couple visiting from India.

Cocaine seized astatine the border

According to Peel police, Canadian borderline agents earlier this twelvemonth intercepted a combined 177 kilograms of cocaine hidden successful trailers of commercialized trucks astatine the Ambassador Bridge successful Windsor, and the Blue Water Bridge adjacent Sarnia. Both spans nexus Ontario to Michigan.

Public records from a abstracted lawsuit successful U.S. national tribunal successful Michigan amusement Wedding's $1-billion US web utilized the nonstop aforesaid scheme.

Two Ontario men – some indicted arsenic members of Wedding's cause ringing – concealed cocaine successful hidden motortruck compartments past August as they attempted to transverse the Blue Water Bridge toward Canada, according to the tribunal files.

As for the caller record-setting cause bust successful Peel Region, constabulary said they seized a full of 479 kilograms of bricked cocaine, with an estimated thoroughfare worth of $47.9 million, positive 2 loaded handguns. Police said the drugs were destined for the Toronto country and different parts of Canada.

Nine men were arrested and charged with a combined 35 charges related to firearm and cause offences, constabulary said.

"This probe is inactive ongoing connected our U.S. partners' side, to enactment backmost wherever the networks originate," Peel constabulary Chief Nishan Duraiappah said.

Peel constabulary said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations are some progressive successful the case, dubbed Project Pelican. Neither bureau responded to requests for comment.

The seizures travel arsenic an "unprecedented" 6,000 kilograms of cocaine person poured into Canada since past fall, according to Ontario Provincial Police.

WATCH | From Olympian to fugitive: 

'You're next,' U.S. authoritative says of Wedding

A elder U.S. authoritative told CBC the nationalist has been providing a dependable travel of tips astir Wedding's whereabouts, since the State Department began offering a $10-million US reward for accusation starring to his apprehension oregon conviction.

F. Cartwright Weiland, who leads the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, said it appeared arsenic though Wedding's connections to Mexican officials person helped him to evade capture.

"Any clip that we've gotten close, helium tin trust connected those radical watching retired for him, to alert him successful advance," Weiland said successful an interview.

"Ryan, we're getting tips each day. People are calling in," Weiland said, erstwhile asked if helium has a connection for the Thunder Bay, Ont.-born fugitive.

"You're next, buddy."

If you person a quality extremity related to this story, interaction CBC News elder newsman Thomas Daigle by email: thomas.daigle@cbc.ca.