A man in Edmonton, linked to the alleged drug empire of Ryan Wedding, has been released on bail while awaiting extradition. The court granted Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35, freedom under strict conditions: a $50,000 surety, constant electronic monitoring, and a requirement to live with his mother.
Zitoun is one of ten individuals arrested following an FBI investigation into an international drug network. This network, authorities allege, was masterminded by Wedding and stretched across Mexico, Colombia, Canada, and the United States. Zitoun’s alleged role involved attempts to locate a crucial federal witness for the organization.
The charges against Zitoun in the U.S. are deeply serious, encompassing conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice by tampering with a witness. These accusations paint a picture of a desperate attempt to silence someone who could unravel the entire operation.
Ryan Wedding, once a Canadian Olympic snowboarder who competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, now faces a dramatically different reality. Arrested in Mexico and transferred to California, he is accused of ordering multiple killings, including that of a witness set to testify in a 2024 narcotics case.
Prosecutors allege Wedding didn’t hesitate to employ extreme measures, hiring members of Colombian cartels to kidnap and brutally torture an FBI informant. He is also suspected of using the same network to track the movements of individuals within Canada, monitoring their cellphones.
Details of the investigation emerged recently with the release of a nearly 50-page summary to the defense teams representing Wedding’s Canadian associates. This document revealed the scope and brutality of the alleged conspiracy.
A chilling detail surfaced regarding a $5-million bounty allegedly placed on the life of Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a former Montreal drug trafficker who turned informant. Acebedo-Garcia was tragically murdered in Medellin, Colombia, in January 2025, shot five times in the head during a lunch with friends.
Law enforcement officials believe Wedding oversaw the movement of an astonishing 60 tons of cocaine through multiple countries, potentially operating with the tacit approval of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. The scale of the operation is staggering.
Wedding was indicted in 2024 on a multitude of charges, including drug trafficking and murder. He is accused of leading a billion-dollar drug-running organization that allegedly became Canada’s primary source of cocaine.
The FBI placed Wedding on its most wanted list, offering a substantial $15-million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. He is also charged with directing the 2023 murders of two members of a Canadian family, allegedly in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment and a separate unpaid debt.
