Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding entered a plea of not guilty to all 17 felony charges against him during his initial court appearance in Santa Ana on Monday. The charges include serious allegations of drug trafficking, witness tampering, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Wedding, who had been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, appeared relaxed in the Orange County courtroom, smiling occasionally at his legal counsel and observers while stretching his unshackled arms. His physical presence remained imposing at 1.91 meters tall and 109 kilograms, maintaining the athletic stature that once carried him to the 2002 Winter Games representing Canada.
The criminal indictment alleges Wedding operated a sophisticated transnational drug network, importing substantial quantities of cocaine into Los Angeles for distribution across the United States and Canada. Federal authorities further accuse him of orchestrating the murder of a potential witness against him and allege his protected existence under the Sinaloa cartel’s protection in Mexico.
Despite Mexican officials’ claims that Wedding surrendered voluntarily, his defense attorney Anthony Colombo publicly disputed this account outside the courthouse, labeling it ‘a false narrative.’ The case has been temporarily moved from Los Angeles to Santa Ana due to ongoing protests surrounding federal immigration operations.
FBI Director Kash Patel previously characterized Wedding as a ‘modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar,’ operating under multiple aliases including ‘El Jefe’ and ‘Giant.’ Law enforcement officials contend that Wedding established his criminal enterprise following his release from federal prison in 2011, where he had been serving time for previous cocaine distribution offenses.
The international investigation has yielded significant assets, including a motorcycle collection valued at approximately $40 million seized in Mexico. Wedding remains in custody pending his next scheduled court appearance in Los Angeles on February 9th.