The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed the arrest of a Vancouver man wanted for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated international drug trafficking network. The operation is said to have been masterminded by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
Key Arrest in a Widening Investigation
According to the FBI, Rasheed Pascua Hossain was captured this week. His arrest comes just days after U.S. authorities announced that 10 more individuals had been taken into custody, seven of whom are Canadian. The investigation continues to expand, with Wedding and two other suspects still at large.
Hossain is facing serious charges, including conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine, conspiracy to export the drug, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
The Alleged Mastermind and a $15 Million Reward
At the center of this sprawling case is Ryan Wedding, 44. The Canadian national, believed to be residing in Mexico, is accused of overseeing a vast criminal enterprise. U.S. authorities allege his tactics included witness intimidation, even going so far as to orchestrate murder.
In a significant move, Wedding was placed on the FBI's List of 10 most wanted fugitives in March 2025. A staggering reward of $15 million is being offered for information that leads to his arrest and/or prosecution.
Prominent Lawyer Among Those Accused
The list of those arrested earlier this week reveals a surprising figure: Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, a prominent defence lawyer from Thornhill, Ontario. Paradkar is accused of a grave crime—helping to murder a witness in Colombia who was set to testify against Wedding.
Authorities claim Paradkar sent copies of evidence, obtained by the Ontario Provincial Police, to Wedding's associates. This evidence was related to a double homicide that Wedding is accused of ordering. In that 2023 attack in Caledon, Ontario, Jagtar Sidhu, 57, and his wife, Harbhajan Sidhu, 57, were shot and killed. Their daughter miraculously survived after being shot 13 times. The gunmen are believed to have targeted the wrong family in a tragic case of mistaken identity.
The other individuals arrested in connection with the ring are:
- Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62, of Thornhill, Ontario
- Atna Ohna, 40, of Laval, Québec
- Gursewak Singh Bal, 31, of Mississauga, Ontario
- Allistair Chapman, 33, of Calgary, Alberta
- Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35, of Edmonton, Alberta
- Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, 47, of Bogotá, Colombia
- Yulieth Katherine Tejada, 36, of Orlando, Florida
- Edwin Basora-Hernandez, 31, of Montréal
- Wilson Riascos, 45, of Cali, Colombia
- Rolan Sokolovski, 37, of Toronto
Chris Landberg, with the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, sent a clear message: "No one, not even a former Olympian, is above the law." Rewards of up to $2 million are also being offered for information on the assassins behind the murder of Wedding's associate in Colombia.
