Executive Summary
- Allistair Chapman, an alleged Calgary drug ringleader, has been arrested in Canada on a U.S. provisional warrant.
- He faces extradition to the United States on charges of murder and conspiracy to export cocaine.
- The U.S. investigation also involves former Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding, who is currently wanted.
- Previous serious drug charges against Chapman in Canada were dismissed in 2020 due to unreasonable trial delays.
A Calgary man, previously identified by police as a drug kingpin with ties to Mexican cartels, has been arrested and is facing extradition to the United States on charges including murder and conspiracy to export cocaine. Allistair Chapman, 33, appeared in a Calgary court on Tuesday where his extradition application was adjourned until Friday.
The charges stem from a provisional arrest warrant issued by the U.S. Department of Justice. According to the warrant, Chapman is wanted in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug-related crimes, including murder. His arrest is part of a broader U.S. investigation that also targets former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding, whom American authorities believe is being protected by a cartel in Mexico. Another Canadian, Ahmad Nabil Zitoun of Edmonton, was also arrested as part of the operation.
This is not Chapman’s first encounter with major criminal allegations. He was previously arrested in Calgary as the alleged ringleader of a drug organization following a 2016 incident where 100 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized from a truck in Utah. Calgary police had also linked that organization to a double homicide in May 2017.
Despite sources describing him as the key contact for Mexican cartels, the Canadian charges against Chapman and his co-accused were dismissed in July 2020. A judge ruled that a 34-month delay in their prosecution violated their constitutional right to be tried within a reasonable time.
Chapman is now facing a new legal battle as U.S. authorities seek his extradition to face the more recent and severe charges. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.