A chilling bounty, reportedly reaching $5 million, was placed on the life of Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a former drug trafficker turned FBI informant. The alleged orchestrator? Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old once celebrated as an Olympic snowboarder, now accused of commanding a vast criminal enterprise.
Acebedo-Garcia’s fate was sealed in Medellin, Colombia, where he was brutally shot five times during a lunch with friends. Initial orders, according to case records, directed a gruesome fate – kidnapping, torture, and dismemberment. That plan evolved into a cold, calculated execution carried out by a professional gunman.
U.S. prosecutors allege Wedding didn’t act alone. He allegedly contracted La Oficina de Envigado, a notorious Colombian crime syndicate with roots stretching back to the era of Pablo Escobar, to carry out the assassination. This organization, steeped in decades of drug trafficking, extortion, and murder-for-hire, became the instrument of Wedding’s alleged vengeance.
The investigation reveals a meticulous surveillance operation. La Oficina allegedly tracked Acebedo-Garcia, his wife, and even his mistress, gathering intelligence before the deadly strike. Wedding reportedly claimed to have paid $2.5 million for the hit, though associates suggest the actual sum was closer to $500,000 in cryptocurrency.
But the alleged criminal activity didn’t stop with a single murder. Evidence suggests Wedding utilized La Oficina’s capabilities to track cellphones, not just in Colombia, but also across Canada and Mexico. A screenshot allegedly shown to an associate displayed a Montreal number being monitored in real-time, hinting at a wider network of targets.
Wedding’s alleged empire extended far beyond Colombia. Authorities accuse him of moving an astonishing 60 tons of cocaine through multiple countries, potentially with the tacit approval of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. He stands accused of running a billion-dollar drug operation, the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada.
The accusations mount, including the alleged ordering of two murders in Canada – retaliations for a stolen drug shipment and an unpaid debt. He is also accused of eliminating a potential witness in Colombia to thwart his extradition to the United States. Wedding was once a fugitive on the FBI’s most wanted list, a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his capture.
Adding another layer of complexity, Toronto lawyer Deepak Paradkar, known as the “Cocaine Lawyer,” is implicated in the case. Prosecutors allege Paradkar advised Wedding and a key associate to eliminate Acebedo-Garcia, believing it would dismantle the U.S. government’s case. Paradkar maintains his innocence.
Now in U.S. custody after being apprehended in Mexico, Wedding has pleaded not guilty to the 17 charges against him. A former associate, Andrew Clark, now an FBI informant, is poised to testify, potentially unraveling the intricate web of Wedding’s alleged criminal network when the trial begins in Los Angeles.
Eight Canadians, named in a federal grand jury indictment, also face potential extradition to California, their fates intertwined with the unfolding drama surrounding Ryan Wedding and his alleged reign of terror.
