Every parent, at some point, delivers the same warning: steer clear of *that* one. The kid who spells trouble. Today, that kid is Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder now accused of leading a vast international drug operation. This isn’t a story of innocent bystanders caught in the wrong place; those involved are deeply entangled in a dangerous web.
The fallout continues as Montreal gangster Tommy Demorizi recently pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles, linked to a murder allegedly ordered by the 44-year-old Wedding. The plot involved a Quebec hitman and a reggaeton singer, a chilling combination of underworld elements. Demorizi faces eight charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering, identified by authorities as a key figure in Wedding’s criminal network.
Authorities apprehended Demorizi in February at Newark International Airport, after he’d reportedly been hiding in the Dominican Republic. Investigators believe he was tasked with tracking down an FBI informant, Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, who was ultimately murdered in Colombia in 2025. A $5 million bounty had been placed on Acebedo-Garcia’s head, illustrating the ruthless stakes involved.
Until 2015, Wedding operated from Montreal, but as pressure mounted, he fled to Mexico, where he allegedly ran a billion-dollar drug empire. His reign ended in January, with his arrest – whether a surrender or capture remains disputed. The details are murky, debated by his lawyer and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Demorizi’s role, according to law enforcement, was as a crucial intermediary. For years, Wedding’s organization smuggled tons of cocaine and methamphetamine across the U.S.-Canada border, utilizing South Asian trucking companies and drivers. But as the investigation intensified, the walls began to close in.
The Wedding organization was a house of cards waiting to fall. His lawyer, key lieutenants, business associates, and even South Asian crime bosses based in Brampton were arrested, facing extradition to the U.S. To date, a staggering 37 individuals have been charged in connection with the operation.
In October 2024, a U.S. Justice Department indictment unsealed charges against 16 defendants linked to Wedding, alleging at least four murders tied to the drug-smuggling enterprise. Andrew Clark, a 34-year-old former elevator mechanic from Toronto, was also arrested, identified as Wedding’s alleged second-in-command. Wedding maintains his innocence, with a trial scheduled for later this year.
Following Wedding’s arrest, organized crime expert Antonio Nicaso speculated that his situation in Mexico had become untenable. The Sinaloa cartel, once his protectors, is losing ground to the rising Jalisco New Generation cartel, creating a volatile and dangerous environment. Nicaso suggested this instability may have contributed to Wedding’s capture.
The professor’s assessment was stark: “No criminal wants the FBI in their backyard.” Now, those connected to Wedding face a grim reality. As one observer bluntly put it, they are “as dead as fried chicken,” a chilling testament to the consequences of aligning with a fallen kingpin.
