Andrew Clark
Andrew Clark | |
|---|---|
 Andrew Clark arrest photo | |
| Born | 1990 (age 35–36) |
| Nationality | Canada |
| Other names |
|
| Occupation | elevator mechanic, landlord, drug-smuggler |
Andrew Clark is a Canadian who was extradited from Mexico to the United States to face charges he helped lead a drug-smuggling gang that has murdered people.[1] Authorities claim his drug gang smuggled more than a billion dollars worth of cocaine.[2] He was arrested by heavily armed Mexican troops in October 2024.[3][4]
Law enforcement officials have cited messages exchanged between Clark and his alleged boss Ryan Wedding, and Clark and Deepak Paradkar, allegedly his organization's lawyer.[5]
Clark is alleged to have played a key role in the assassination of Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, an associate who had been working as a mole, within the organization.[6]
Prior to engaging in drug smuggling Clark was an elevtor technician.[6]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑
Calvi Leon (2025-03-27). "'Second-in-command' to Canadian Olympian turned alleged drug lord pleads not guilty to charges including four Ontario murders". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2025-04-08. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged Clark with 11 offences, including conspiracy to possess, export and distribute cocaine, as well as four counts of murder and one of attempted murder in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise.
- ↑
"Co-Leader of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organization Arrives in the U.S. to Face Federal Narcotics and Murder Charges". United States Department of Justice. 2025-02-28. Archived from the original on 2025-03-01. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
Alongside Wedding, Clark allegedly controlled a billion-dollar drug enterprise with supply routes that transported ton-quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Canada by way of Mexico and Southern California.
- ↑
Thomas Daigle (2025-03-11). "Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding's lieutenant to plead not guilty to murder, drug charges: lawyer". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2025-03-11. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
Clark, 34, was transferred to U.S. custody last month in an unprecedented Mexican extradition operation targeting cartel-linked figures. Heavily armed troops in pickup trucks descended on a shopping mall restaurant in the Guadalajara area for Clark's arrest in October, according to social media video verified by CBC News.
- ↑
Chris Fox (2025-02-28). "Canadian alleged to be 'second in command' of drug trafficking ring tied to ex-Olympian extradited to U.S." CTV News. Archived from the original on 2025-02-28. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
A Canadian man who has been described in court documents as the “second in command” of a major transnational drug trafficking ring run by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been extradited from Mexico to the United States.
- ↑
Thomas Daigle (2025-12-12). "'Cocaine lawyer' linked to fugitive Ryan Wedding could be killed if granted bail, court told". CBC News. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
Wedding’s network “is highly motivated” to prevent Paradkar from standing trial in California, Graham told Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Bawden. 'There’s no telling what would happen to him, his family, anyone connected to him.'
- ↑ 6.0 6.1
Thomas Daigle (2025-11-29). "The FBI spotted Ryan Wedding in 2024. Why wasn't he arrested?". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2025-11-29. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
Investigators identified the other man who’d walked in with Wedding as his network’s “second-in-command,” Andrew Clark. A former Toronto-area elevator mechanic, Clark had already met with Acebedo-Garcia earlier in the week, allegedly boasting about sending 2,000-3,000 kg of cocaine per month to Canada, including 600 kg to Alberta. Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, left, was killed in Medellin, Colombia, in January 2025 after working with the FBI to help bring down the violent drug-smuggling network allegedly led by fugitive Ryan Wedding. U.S. prosecutors allege Andrew Clark, right, acted as Wedding's top lieutenant. (Name withheld/U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California)
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