The US has added 10 people and 9 companies to its narcotics sanctions list established under EO 14059 – press release. The people and entities are said to be linked to Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, who the US says is part of the narcotics trade. The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued an explainer linking the people and companies to Mr Wedding.

Mr Wedding is sanctioned under EO 14059 for trafficking cocaine into the US and Canada. OFAC says he is the head of a criminal organisation that uses cryptocurrencies to move and launder the proceeds of drug trafficking. The US has designated the following alongside Mr Wedding:

Miryam Castillo Moreno, Mr Wedding’s wife, Daniela Acuna Macias, Mr Wedding’s girlfriend, and Carmen Valoyes Florez, an associate of Mr Wedding. All are said to be involved in Mr Wedding’s trafficking organisation.

Edgar Vazquez Alvarado, who owns three of the entities sanctioned by the US and Deepak Paradkar, Mr Wedding’s attorney.

Rolan Sokolovski, Gianluca Tiepolo, Christian Diana and John Fallon, who are said to be part of a network led by Mr Wedding to launder the proceeds of the drug trafficking organisation. Six companies based in Canada, Italy and the UK linked to these people have been sanctioned.