Reported by U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

(Summary presented below. To read full report, go to: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0320)

The U.S. Treasury announced sweeping sanctions against former Canadian Olympian Ryan James Wedding, describing him as the leader of a violent, transnational cocaine-trafficking organization. According to Treasury officials, Wedding’s network is responsible for moving large quantities of narcotics from Latin America into North America and Europe, while also engaging in acts of violence, including multiple murders tied to its operations.

The sanctions designate Wedding, nine associates, and nine related entities, effectively freezing any U.S. assets they may hold and prohibiting all Americans from conducting business with them. Treasury officials say the network relied on a global web of shell companies, criminal facilitators, and financial channels to launder drug profits and maintain its operations.

Wedding’s organization, as described in the announcement, operated across multiple jurisdictions, using its international footprint to evade detection and exploit weak points in border and financial controls. The U.S. government’s action aims to isolate the network economically, cut it off from the formal financial system, and disrupt its ability to move money or maintain commercial relationships.

In announcing the sanctions, Treasury emphasized that the decision reflects a broader U.S. effort to dismantle transnational criminal organizations that pose threats to public safety and regional stability. The move also underscores continued collaboration between U.S. authorities and international partners who have tracked Wedding’s activities and gathered intelligence on his network’s operations.