Canada, Nov 21: Canadian law enforcement has arrested Mississauga resident Gursewak Singh Bal, a Punjabi-origin crime blogger accused of helping a cross-border cocaine cartel identify a key witness who was later murdered in Colombia. The 31-year-old, known for co-running the crime site “Dirty Newz,” was taken into custody on November 19 during coordinated raids under Operation Giant Slalom, a joint US–Canada probe that officials call one of the most significant anti-drug operations in recent years.
Bal is one of seven Canadians detained as authorities move to dismantle a narcotics network prosecutors say was overseen by ex-Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding. Media reports from Global News and Edmonton City News say Bal was allegedly paid USD 10,000 to assist the criminal organisation by posting a photograph of a protected witness targeted for assassination.
According to Global News, “He was reportedly paid $10,000… not to post about Wedding and Clark, and was instead given a photograph of the witness and was paid to post it so that he could be found and killed.” On November 5, 2024, Bal allegedly posted the image on Instagram with a caption suggesting the victim had helped authorities take down a major underworld network.
CityNews reported that Bal’s website “The Dirty News” was seized after a federal warrant was executed. Investigators argue that the online posts became an instrument in tracking the witness, identified as Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, who was killed in Medellín in January 2025. US filings state the witness “was shot and killed at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January 2025.”
Prosecutors say Bal later posted another Instagram story on January 31, 2025, showing part of the crime scene and captions reading: “[Victim A] down…” and “BOOM! Headshot.” Officials allege the posts demonstrate active participation in the murder conspiracy.
Authorities announced that several people tied to Wedding’s organisation—including his lawyer, Deepak Paradkar—were also arrested. NBC News reported that the United States is now seeking the extradition of Bal and other suspects to face charges of murder conspiracy, racketeering and drug trafficking under US law.
According to Yahoo News, evidence includes encrypted chats and social media content recovered by the FBI and RCMP. US Justice Department documents state that Bal and his alleged associates “face life imprisonment if convicted.” The FBI has already taken control of the “Dirty Newz” website.
Wedding himself remains a fugitive. Officials describe him as “extremely violent and extremely wealthy,” and believe he is being protected by Sinaloa Cartel operatives in Mexico. The US State Department has increased the bounty for his capture to USD 15 million, calling the effort critical to dismantling his alleged drug network.
