A new image of a former Canadian Olympian who is wanted in connection with an international drug ring has been released by police.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently shared an image of Ryan Wedding, a 43-year-old retired Olympic snowboarder who is wanted on eight charges, including three counts of murder connected to a drug trafficking network.
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The former athlete has been accused of ordering several murders in Canada as a leader of an alleged international drug operation, which has trafficked 1,800 kilograms of cocaine across Colombia, Mexico, the U.S., and Canada.
In the undated image, Wedding is shown looking at his phone while sitting at a table at an undisclosed location. His hair appears to be much shorter than in a previously released photo of him last month where he appeared to have long hair and a patchy beard.
Police have linked Wedding to at least three shootings, including the murder of a couple in Caledon, ON, who investigators say were innocent victims.
None of the allegations against him have been proven in court.
He also faces “unresolved” drug trafficking charges in Canada, dating back almost ten years ago to 2015.
He is one of 16 defendants listed in a U.S. indictment unsealed last month.
Nine other Canadians in addition to Wedding have been accused in the drug trafficking network, including Andrew Clark, who is his alleged “second in command,” and is currently in custody.
Wedding, who is believed to be living in Mexico, competed at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 where he finished 24th in the parallel giant slalom event.
The FBI is offering a reward of USD $50,000 for his arrest.
