In a major breakthrough for international law enforcement, Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who competed for Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has been arrested and returned to the United States in custody. The 44-year-old, long listed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives roster, was taken into custody Thursday night in Mexico City following years of evasion, with authorities describing him as a key figure in one of the most violent transnational drug trafficking operations.
Wedding, once an athlete in parallel giant slalom snowboarding, allegedly transformed into a high-level criminal leader affiliated with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. U.S. officials accuse him of overseeing a sophisticated network that imported massive quantities of cocaine—approximately 60 metric tons annually—from Colombia through Mexico and into Southern California, before distribution across the United States and Canada. The operation reportedly generated enormous profits, which were laundered to enrich Wedding and his associates.
Federal prosecutors have charged him with leading a continuing criminal enterprise, cocaine trafficking, money laundering, and orchestrating multiple murders, including the targeted killing of a federal witness. In one chilling incident, authorities claim Wedding placed a bounty on a witness set to testify against him, leading to the victim’s fatal shooting at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, after his photo was posted on a Canadian website to aid identification.
Wedding had been in hiding in Mexico for more than a decade, evading capture until recent intensified efforts. The arrest involved collaboration between the FBI, Mexican authorities, and Canadian law enforcement, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. FBI Director Kash Patel, who was in Mexico City at the time, praised the operation—dubbed involving the FBI Hostage Rescue Team—and called Wedding a “modern-day Pablo Escobar” or “El Chapo” for his alleged scale of violence and narcotics empire. Patel highlighted it as the sixth Top Ten Most Wanted capture in a year under current leadership.
A $15 million reward had been offered by the U.S. State Department for information leading to his arrest, though details on any payout remain unclear. Wedding was flown to Southern California in federal custody, arriving in handcuffs as dramatic footage captured his extradition. He is expected to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday to enter a plea on the charges.
The case underscores the long arm of international cooperation in dismantling cross-border crime syndicates. Wedding’s fall from Olympic glory to alleged drug kingpin serves as a stark reminder of how paths can diverge dramatically over time. Authorities believe his capture significantly disrupts ongoing drug trafficking threats and enhances public safety across North America.
