Wedding will remain in custody without bond as he awaits trial, a judge ruled.
Ex-Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who FBI Director Kash Patel has described as a modern-day « El Chapo » or Pablo Escobar, pleaded not guilty on Monday to 17 felony charges across two indictments alleging that he operated a Mexican drug cartel.
Wedding, a Canadian national who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, appeared in federal court in Santa Ana on Monday morning. The charges he was arraigned on include several related to drug trafficking and murder.
According to the Department of Justice, he will remain in U.S. custody without bond.
In the Santa Ana courtroom, Wedding appeared in a tan jumpsuit with shackled ankles and a tattoo-sleeved right arm. He walked into the courtroom with a smirk on his face, according to CBS News.
