7 Canadians charged in U.S. drug probe linked to ex-Olympian

Seven Canadian residents have been taken into custody across three provinces as part of a United States investigation into an alleged international drug-trafficking network linked to former Team Canada athlete Ryan Wedding. RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme joined senior U.S. justice officials in Washington to outline the cross-border charges, describing the arrests as part of an ongoing effort to curb organized crime operating between Canada, the U.S. and Latin America.

Canadian authorities confirmed that arrests were made this week in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta following U.S. extradition requests. According to indictments filed in the United States, Wedding is accused of organizing large-scale cocaine shipments destined for both countries. American prosecutors have also connected him to the killing of a federal witness in Colombia in January 2025, a case that has drawn significant attention because of the alleged links to transnational criminal groups.

Wedding, who once competed internationally for Canada, is now believed to be hiding in Mexico. U.S. officials say the State Department has increased its reward for information leading to his capture to USD 15 million. The case underscores ongoing co-operation between Canadian and American law-enforcement agencies as they investigate drug trafficking networks that affect communities across Western Canada, including Alberta and British Columbia.