The Unlikely Drug Lord and His Professional Support Network
U.S. authorities have revealed shocking allegations about a sophisticated network of professionals, family members, and friends who allegedly enabled former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding to operate a billion-dollar cocaine empire. The case has drawn comparisons to history's most notorious drug lords, including Pablo Escobar and El Chapo Guzman, according to FBI assessments.
Ryan Wedding, once an Olympic athlete representing Canada, is now described as the mastermind behind a vast international drug trafficking operation that required an extensive support system to manage its complex financial operations and provide protection.
The Network of Enablers
According to U.S. Treasury Department allegations from November 21, 2025, nine individuals formed what authorities call a "network of enablers" that prevented Wedding's criminal enterprise from collapsing under the weight of its own illicit profits. The diverse group includes:
Legal and Financial Professionals: Deepak Paradkar, identified as "The Lawyer," and Rolan Sokolovski, described as "The Bookkeeper" from Maple, Ontario, who allegedly managed complex financial operations and received more than US$20 million in cryptocurrency within just eight months.
Personal Relationships: Miryam Andrea Castillo Moreno, identified as "The Wife," and Daniela Alejandra Acuna Macias, described as "The Girlfriend," both allegedly involved in supporting Wedding's operations.
Security and Business Contacts: Gianluca Tiepolo, a special forces soldier referred to as "The Soldier," and Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarado, known as "The General," who allegedly used his former Mexican law enforcement connections to provide protection and locate targets for Wedding.
Business Associates: Cristian Diana and John Fallon, identified as "The Businessmen," along with cryptocurrency traders who helped manage the organization's digital financial transactions.
Criminal Connections: Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, described as "The Madame" of sex-trade operations, rounded out the diverse support network.
The Money Laundering Challenge
An old military saying suggests that armies march on their stomachs, but in organized crime, criminal enterprises run on their money. The fundamental challenge for any large-scale drug operation isn't just moving product—it's moving money. Without the ability to spend, bank, or invest criminal proceeds, the risks of gangland violence, arrest, and imprisonment become pointless.
Moving vast amounts of criminal cash presents enormous logistical challenges, which is why seemingly legitimate business professionals and financial experts often become more valuable to criminal organizations than traditional enforcers and smugglers. These professionals are rarer and more difficult to train than typical criminal operatives.
The U.S. Treasury Department alleges that Sokolovski served as one of two chief money launderers for the Wedding organization, specializing in concealing drug trafficking proceeds through sophisticated financial maneuvers, including cryptocurrency transactions.
International Reach and Protection
The network spanned international borders, with key operatives providing critical services in different jurisdictions. Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarado, the 41-year-old former Mexican law enforcement officer nicknamed "The General," maintained what authorities describe as corrupt ties with other senior law enforcement officials in Mexico.
Vazquez allegedly used his police contacts to locate people in Mexico that Wedding targeted, connecting him to multiple murder allegations. The General also owned several legitimate businesses in Mexico, including a private security firm and two wholesale fuel companies, which authorities suspect were used to launder money and provide cover for criminal activities.
Wedding remains at large as a most-wanted fugitive, with U.S. authorities offering a US$15 million bounty for information leading to his arrest. None of the allegations against Wedding or his alleged enablers have been proven in court, and many haven't even been formally charged or indicted.
The case highlights how modern criminal organizations increasingly rely on professional networks to sustain their operations, blurring the lines between legitimate business and organized crime in increasingly sophisticated ways.
