16 People Charged with Drug Trafficking and Murder Across North America

Charges have been laid against sixteen individuals in a 16-count superseding indictment that claims they were involved in a transnational drug trafficking operation. This operation shipped large quantities of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other parts of the United States.

Among the accused are Ryan James Wedding, 43, a Canadian citizen living in Mexico and former Canadian Olympian; Andrew Clark, 34, another Canadian citizen residing in Mexico; and Malik Damion Cunningham, 23, a Canadian resident.

Wedding and Clark are believed to be the leaders of the organization, facing serious charges such as leading a continuing criminal enterprise, multiple counts of murder related to drug crimes, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Cunningham is charged with murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, from approximately January to August this year, the defendants operated a drug trafficking organization that transported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine using a Canada-based transportation network.

The group allegedly moved cocaine shipments from Mexico to the Los Angeles area, where the drugs were stored in stash houses before being delivered to couriers for transport to Canada via long-haul semi-trucks.

Related Stories

The leaders of the organization allegedly directed acts of violence to protect and further their operations. On Nov. 20, 2023, two members of a family in Ontario, Canada, were murdered in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California.

A third family member survived the shooting but sustained serious injuries. Wedding and Clark are also accused of ordering the murder of another individual on May 18 over a drug debt, while Clark and Cunningham allegedly orchestrated a separate murder in Ontario, Canada, on April 1.

“As alleged in the indictment, an Olympic athlete-turned-drug lord is now charged with leading a transnational organized crime group that engaged in cocaine trafficking and murder, including of innocent civilians,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office’s mandate is to protect the public and stopping sophisticated and violent organized crime groups goes to the heart of that mission.”

The investigation was conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia and resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,800 kilograms (1.8 metric tons) of cocaine—valued at between $23.4 billion and $25.2 million in Los Angeles—three firearms, dozens of rounds of ammunition, $255,400 in U.S. currency, and more than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency.

“The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to identify, target, and dismantle violent transnational organized crime syndicates in our communities,” said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today, in collaboration with several local, federal, and international partners, we reaffirm our commitment to the American people by dismantling a violent organized crime network trafficking large quantities of drugs into the United States and orchestrating multiple homicides to eliminate the competition.”

The defendants face various charges, including conspiracy to distribute and export controlled substances, leading a continuing criminal enterprise, and murder and attempted murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise. If convicted, the principal defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of life in federal prison on the most serious charges.

Several of the arrested defendants are expected to make their court appearances within the coming week in Los Angeles, Michigan, and Miami, according to the press release.

No attorneys were listed for the principal defendants in the federal court docketing system when The Epoch Times attempted to locate them to seek comment.