Brampton Trucking Boss Pleads Guilty in US Drug Ring

0:00It's March 27. This is Toronto News Today, your AI-powered local news. A former Brampton trucking boss named Guramrit Sidu has pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to running a major drug trafficking ring. The 62-year-old let a group that moved cocaine and methamphetamine worth up to $17 million U.S. dollars from the United States into Canada in just one month. He faces at least 20 years in federal prison, with sentencing set for July 9. Sidu worked closely with Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympian turned alleged drug kingpin from Thunder Bay. They used long haul trucks driven by Punjabi operators to hide the drugs and shipments crossing the border. This operation ran from September 2020 to February 2023, with drivers picking up loads from stash houses in California. The guilty plea marks a big hit to Wedding's network as Sidu was a top figure in it. These have already arrested seven people tied to the group, with some serving sentences from two to nine years.

1:01Sidu himself was caught in January 2024 and extra-dited to the U.S. last October, heading a 23-count indictment. Meanwhile, Wedding, now 44, was arrested in Mexico City after years on the run. He's spacing multiple charges, including links to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and ordering a hit on a witness in Colombia this January. The FBI had him on their 10 most wanted list, with a $15 million reward. As more players flip and cooperate, this cross-border empire continues to crumble under pressure from U.S. and Canadian investigators.