Edmonton Man Granted Bail in High-Profile International Drug Trafficking Case
An Edmonton man allegedly connected to accused drug kingpin Ryan Wedding has been released on bail as he awaits extradition proceedings to the United States. Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35, was granted bail by Court of King’s Bench Justice Marta Burns in a ruling released Friday, although he must comply with stringent conditions including a $50,000 surety, wearing an ankle monitor, and residing with his mother.
Charges and Allegations in the International Investigation
Zitoun faces serious charges in the U.S., including conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to tamper with a witness. He was arrested last year as part of an FBI probe targeting an international drug-trafficking network allegedly operated by Ryan Wedding, with connections spanning Mexico, Colombia, Canada, and the United States. According to court documents, Zitoun is accused of attempting to help locate a federal witness for the criminal organization.
The case centers on Ryan Wedding, a Canadian Olympic snowboarder who competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Wedding was arrested in Mexico in January and transferred to California to face multiple charges, including allegedly ordering the killings of several individuals, among them a witness in a 2024 narcotics case. U.S. prosecutors have accused him of hiring Colombian cartel members to kidnap and torture an FBI informant, and of requesting the tracking of cellphones belonging to Canadian targets.
Details of the Drug Trafficking Network and Legal Proceedings
Intelligence information recently emerged after a nearly 50-page summary of the case was presented to defence lawyers representing Wedding’s associates, who were arrested in Canada last November. Law enforcement officials allege that Wedding moved as much as 60 tons of cocaine through Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and California, potentially operating with the support of Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa Cartel.
Wedding was indicted in 2024 on numerous charges related to drugs and murder, including running a billion-dollar drug-running group described as the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada. He was listed among the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, with a $15-million reward offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction. Specific allegations include:
- Placing a $5-million US bounty on Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a Montreal-born former drug trafficker-turned-FBI informant who was murdered in January 2025 in Medellin, Colombia.
- Directing the 2023 slayings of two members of a Canadian family as retaliation for a stolen drug shipment.
- Ordering another individual’s death over a drug debt.
Zitoun’s bail grant marks a significant development in the ongoing legal saga, as he and nine others were implicated in the FBI investigation. The extradition hearing will determine whether he will be sent to the United States to face the conspiracy charges. The case underscores the global reach of organized crime and the complexities of international law enforcement cooperation in tackling drug trafficking networks.
