August 19, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Two truck drivers from the Toronto area — Iqbal Singh Virk and Ranjit Singh Rowal — have agreed to plead guilty in a U.S. court for their role in a major drug smuggling operation tied to one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, Ryan Wedding. This marks the first time Canadian nationals have reached plea deals in connection with the cross-border drug network allegedly run by Wedding.
Once a competitive snowboarder who represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Ryan Wedding is now a fugitive and considered one of North America’s most dangerous drug traffickers. The FBI is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He is accused of operating a vast criminal enterprise that trafficked cocaine and fentanyl between the U.S. and Canada using commercial transport trucks. His organization has also been linked to at least four murders in Ontario.
Virk and Rowal were arrested in August 2024 at the Blue Water Bridge crossing between Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario. U.S. border officers flagged their truck for a secondary inspection. Using an X-ray scanner and a sniffer dog, officers uncovered a hidden, non-factory compartment containing 95 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of heroin. The truck was also carrying legitimate cargo with proper documentation to avoid suspicion. CBC News later found that the trailer was registered to a Brampton-based company associated with Rowal.
The men are facing serious charges, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine, which carries a potential life sentence. According to U.S. court documents, they were previously involved in another planned shipment in Southern California where they were scheduled to transport 347 kilograms of cocaine. However, their truck could only hold 250 kilograms. When Wedding’s team offered a reduced fee of $150,000 CAD for the smaller shipment — down from the agreed $220,000 — a dispute broke out. Gurpreet Singh, allegedly a leader of the transportation network, refused the lower rate, and the shipment was canceled.
Singh and his uncle Hardeep Ratte are currently in custody in Ontario and are awaiting extradition to the United States. They are believed to have coordinated major drug shipments for Wedding’s operation.
U.S. authorities say that Wedding remains at large and is still directing drug activities while on the run. He is believed to be hiding in central Mexico under the protection of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel. His aliases include “Public Enemy,” “Giant,” and “El Jefe” (The Boss).
Investigators also revealed that a major drug bust in Peel Region closely mirrored the same smuggling routes used by Virk and Rowal, further suggesting that Wedding’s criminal network remains active in Canada.
In summary, two Ontario-based truck drivers are now pleading guilty in a U.S. court for their involvement in smuggling large quantities of cocaine. They were working for Ryan Wedding — a former Olympian turned international drug kingpin — whose network continues to operate while he remains a fugitive.
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