FBI Most Wanted fugitive and Canadian nationals among those charged; arrests span Canada, U.S. and Colombia in “Operation Giant Slalom”
By NetNewsLedger Staff
Category: National/International Crime | Regional Interest
WASHINGTON — U.S. authorities say 10 defendants were arrested Tuesday and 11 are now in custody after a federal grand jury unsealed a nine-count indictment tied to the January 31, 2025 murder of a federal witness in Medellín, Colombia, and to an alleged international drug trafficking and money laundering enterprise.
At the centre of the case is Ryan James Wedding, 44, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder now on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Investigators allege Wedding oversaw a criminal enterprise, laundered drug proceeds, and ordered hits, including the Medellín murder of a witness in a separate case. U.S. officials say the reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest and/or conviction has been increased to up to US$15 million.
Note: An indictment is a set of allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The latest arrests (Phase 2 of “Operation Giant Slalom”)
Arrested Tuesday (jurisdictions shown as provided by U.S. authorities):
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Deepak Balwant Paradkar, 62 (Thornhill, ON)
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Atna Ohna, 40 (Laval, QC)
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Gursewak Singh Bal, 31 (Mississauga, ON)
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Allistair Chapman, 33 (Calgary, AB)
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Ahmad Nabil Zitoun, 35 (Edmonton, AB)
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Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, 47 (Bogotá, Colombia)
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Yulieth Katherine Tejada, 36 (Orlando, FL; LPR from Colombia)
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Edwin Basora-Hernandez, 31 (Montréal, QC)
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Wilson Riascos, 45 (Cali, Colombia)
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Rolan Sokolovski, 37 (Toronto, ON)
Still sought in addition to Wedding:
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Rasheed Pascua Hossain, 32 (Vancouver, BC)
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Bianca Canastillo-Madrid, 37 (Mexico City)
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Tommy Demorizi, 35 (Montréal; believed to be in the Dominican Republic)
Allegations outlined by U.S. prosecutors
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Witness murder in Colombia (Jan. 31, 2025): Officials allege Wedding placed a bounty and used associates to locate and kill a witness tied to a 2024 U.S. narcotics case against him. The victim was shot in a Medellín restaurant.
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Drug pipeline: The enterprise allegedly imported large quantities of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico to U.S. markets.
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Violence in Canada: Wedding is also charged in a 2024 indictment with running a continuing criminal enterprise and directing a Nov. 20, 2023 double murder in Caledon, Ontario linked to a stolen shipment; a third family member survived with serious injuries.
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Enablers & facilitators: The indictment names additional defendants including:
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Paradkar, described as a criminal barrister, who allegedly advised Wedding to kill the witness to avoid extradition and channelled documents and access to associates;
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Bal, alleged co-founder of “The Dirty News” website, who purportedly accepted payment to avoid posting about Wedding and instead posted the victim’s photo to help locate them;
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Basora-Hernandez, a reggaeton musician, who allegedly shared the victim’s contact info to aid the conspiracy.
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Sanctions/immigration actions: U.S. agencies announced financial targeting of the network and immigration measures against associates, including a Latin pop artist in Florida and a Canadian attorney in Chicago.
If convicted, Wedding and those charged in connection with the witness killing face up to life in U.S. federal prison.
Cross-border investigation
U.S. agencies (DOJ, FBI, State, Treasury/OFAC, LAPD) worked with the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, and Colombian National Police (DIJIN/INTERPOL). Authorities say the case is part of broader U.S. initiatives against cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
Why this matters in Northwestern Ontario
The case includes Canadian defendants from Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia, alleged violence in Ontario, and a network that U.S. officials say pushed drugs into North American communities. The RCMP and OPP participation underscores the Canada–U.S.–Colombia dimension of the probe.
