Ex-Olympian Arrested for Crypto-Backed Drug Trafficking
- The FBI arrested former Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding, accused of leading a cocaine trafficking network.
- Wedding’s operation allegedly used the stablecoin Tether (USDT) to transfer drug proceeds internationally.
- The U.S. Department of Justice seized one ton of cocaine and $3.2 million worth of crypto linked to Wedding in late 2024.
- Wedding was on the FBI’s top ten most wanted fugitives list, with a reward for his capture reaching $15 million.
Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympian, has been apprehended by the FBI in Mexico for allegedly running a crypto-backed drug empire involving cocaine trafficking from Colombia to the U.S.
The arrest marks a significant step in dismantling an international drug network that leveraged cryptocurrency for illicit transactions, highlighting ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat such operations. (Source)
