Canadian police arrested Atna Onha, allegedly nicknamed Tupac, in connection with the assassination of a key witness in the case against Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who is wanted for leading a billion-dollar drug smuggling operation and orchestrating murders. Onha was detained by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the FBI's request, ten months after Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, who was reportedly set to be a crucial witness against Wedding, was murdered in Colombia.
Wedding, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics, is accused of running a massive cocaine smuggling ring and is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with a $10 million reward for his capture. Wedding is charged with eight felonies, including three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, and is believed to have ties to organized crime groups like the Hells Angels and the Mafia, as well as Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzman.
His alleged criminal enterprise, Operation Giant Slalom, involved shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada and the United States. Authorities have seized nearly two tons of cocaine, firearms, and significant amounts of cash and cryptocurrency as part of the investigation.
The case has seen several alleged associates of Wedding, including Andrew Clark, taken into custody. However, Wedding himself remains at large, with investigations spanning multiple countries and agencies.
His journey from Olympic athlete to alleged drug kingpin is marked by early brushes with the law, including a previous conviction for attempting to buy cocaine in 2008, for which he served four years. Upon his release, authorities claim he escalated his criminal activities, building a ruthless organization.
The investigation into Wedding's operation has been ongoing for about a decade, with significant turns, including the murder of the key witness Acebedo-Garcia shortly before he was expected to testify.
