WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal authorities have arrested 10 people and now have 11 defendants in custody following the unsealing of a sweeping nine-count federal indictment targeting a transnational drug enterprise allegedly led by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Wedding, 44, a Canadian national residing in Mexico, is accused of directing a violent drug trafficking organization linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and ordering the January 31 killing of a federal witness in Medellín, Colombia. He remains a fugitive and is currently on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. The U.S. government has increased its reward to up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
International Arrests in “Operation Giant Slalom”
The arrests, carried out Tuesday across several countries, mark the second phase of Operation Giant Slalom, a years-long multinational investigation involving U.S., Canadian and Colombian authorities. Those arrested include:
- Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, Ontario
- Atna Ohna, 40, Québec
- Gursewak Singh Bal, 31, Ontario
- Allistair Chapman, 33, Alberta
- Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35, Alberta
- Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, 47, Bogotá
- Yulieth Katherine Tejada, 36, Orlando
- Edwin Basora-Hernandez, 31, Montréal
- Wilson Riascos, 45, Cali
- Rolan Sokolovski, 37, Toronto
Officials say several members of the enterprise engaged in witness intimidation and murder to protect the organization and its cocaine trafficking profits.
Witness Murder in Colombia
Prosecutors allege Wedding ordered the killing of a witness in a 2024 federal narcotics case against him. The victim was shot to death inside a Medellín restaurant in January 2025. Authorities say the group tracked the victim using information provided by associates, including a reggaeton musician and a website operator accused of posting the victim’s photo online to help locate him.
Paradkar, a Canadian criminal barrister, is accused of advising Wedding to kill the witness to avoid extradition and of improperly supplying court documents and access to other enterprise members.
Broad International Cooperation
The investigation involved the FBI, LAPD, the Departments of State and Treasury, RCMP, Colombian National Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other agencies. Prosecutors say the criminal network trafficked large quantities of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and into U.S. communities.
Three additional defendants — Rasheed Pascua Hossain of Vancouver, Bianca Canastillo-Madrid of Mexico City, and Tommy Demorizi of Montréal — remain at large along with Wedding.
Potential Penalties
If convicted, Wedding and others charged in connection with the witness’s murder face maximum life sentences in federal prison.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America and the Homeland Security Task Force initiative under Executive Order 14159, both aimed at dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
