US Treasury Sanctions Former Olympian Ryan James Wedding and His Crypto-Fueled Cocaine Empire
The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Ryan James Wedding, his nine associates, and nine entities, freezing their U.S. assets under sanctions. Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics and placed 24th in the men's parallel giant slalom, is alleged to run a transnational cocaine empire.
U.S. authorities accuse Wedding of ordering dozens of murders and laundering illicit proceeds through cryptocurrency, including Tether USDT. The Department of Justice (DoJ) has seized over $3.2 million in cryptocurrency, one ton of cocaine, three firearms, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and $255,400 in late 2024.
The FBI has been pursuing Wedding for over a year and currently lists him on its Most Wanted Fugitives list with a bounty that was raised from $10 million in March to $15 million alongside these sanctions. Wedding is believed to be hiding in Mexico, with Treasury officials coordinating efforts with Mexican authorities and Canadian counterparts to locate and bring him to justice.
Among those sanctioned are his wife, Miryam Andrea Castillo Moreno; Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarado, who is alleged to be Wedding's protector; and Canadian jeweler Rolan Sokolovski, also known as the "Diamond Tsar". Sokolovski is accused of laundering millions of dollars in drug money by using cryptocurrency to conceal illicit proceeds.
Treasury officials stated that these sanctions aim to cut Wedding and his network off from the U.S. financial system in coordination with the FBI and DoJ. This week, the FBI and partners reportedly carried out a major takedown of Wedding's network resulting in over ten arrests, advancing enforcement efforts against the organization.
