An ex-Olympic athlete is facing federal charges alongside 15 other defendants in what prosecutors have described as a ruthless and deadly cocaine trafficking ring that operated out of Los Angeles and spanned three countries.

Prosecutors say Ryan James Wedding led a drug trafficking ring importing cocaine to the United States and Canada.

Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder from Canada, is accused by authorities of murder and running an international drug trafficking ring.

A Canadian snowboarder who previously competed in the Olympic Games is wanted by authorities for allegedly running a violent drug cartel that committed murder and trafficked tonnes of Columbian cocaine from Mexico to the US and Canada.

Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder for Canada, has been charged with running a drug trafficking ring that shipped vast amounts of cocaine across the Americas and killed several people, authorities said.

Ryan Wedding is a snowboarder who competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, competing for Canada and finishing 24th in the men's parallel giant slalom. A lot has reportedly happened since then.

A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and 15 others are facing criminal charges for allegedly running a drug-trafficking ring that shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine to Canada and used violence — including murder — to achieve its goals,