Ring Leader Ryan James Wedding Wanted By Authorities
Federal authorities executed a large-scale operation on Wednesday, raiding a multi-million dollar mansion in Aventura, Florida, as part of a broader effort to dismantle a transnational cocaine trafficking network. The operation is allegedly led by a former Olympic athlete, Ryan James Wedding, according to the FBI. During the raid, one individual was taken into custody at the residence located at 3914 Island Estates Drive, an affluent neighborhood in Aventura. Kristi Hawkins, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, provided details of the operation during a media briefing on Thursday.
The mansion, a sprawling 6,522-square-foot property, is owned by Miami Beach restaurateur and music executive Nahim Jorge Bonilla, 36. Bonilla is listed as one of the 16 individuals named in the federal indictment related to the cocaine trafficking ring. He is now in custody at the Miami Federal Detention Center. Bonilla purchased the luxurious property from famed record producer DJ Khaled in 2020 for $4.8 million. His restaurant, Mandrake, is a popular hotspot located in Miami Beach.
Federal authorities arrested 12 individuals connected to the trafficking network in the U.S., Colombia, Mexico, and Canada. However, four members of the organization, including its leader Ryan James Wedding, remain at large. Wedding, 43, was once a member of the Canadian snowboarding team, competing in the 2002 Winter Olympics. However, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada noted that Wedding transitioned from his athletic career to becoming a notorious drug trafficker, and is now wanted for his involvement in several murders, including the killing of a couple from India in front of their child in Canada.
According to investigators, Wedding’s organization is responsible for smuggling over 60 tons of cocaine annually into the United States and Canada. The group sourced the drugs from Colombia, transported them through Mexico, and then distributed the contraband across North America using long-haul truck drivers. The cocaine would be stored in stash houses in Los Angeles before being transported further to the East Coast and various parts of Canada.
The organization also laundered its drug profits through cryptocurrency wallets, one of which reportedly held over $3 million. Wedding, who has previously served four years in prison for drug trafficking, is accused of resuming his criminal activities upon his release, forming a ruthless operation. In addition to drug trafficking charges, Wedding is facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and operating a continuing criminal enterprise.
Authorities have also charged Andrew Clark, Wedding’s second-in-command, who was apprehended in Mexico earlier this month. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Wedding’s capture. Other key figures in the operation include Hardeep Ratte, 45, and Gurpreet Singh, 30, who managed the organization’s Canadian operations. Additional suspects, including Gannadii Bilonog, Carlos Alberto Pena Goyeneche, Rakhim Ibragimov, and several others, have also been indicted.
The investigation into the organization was a collaborative effort between the FBI, DEA, Los Angeles Police Department, Royal Mounted Canadian Police, and authorities in Mexico and Colombia.