Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder accused of running a ruthless international drug network, has been arrested in Mexico after more than a decade on the run, US authorities confirmed on Friday.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest late Thursday night, describing Wedding as one of the most dangerous traffickers operating in modern times. Wedding, 44, is believed to have been living in Mexico while working with the Sinaloa Cartel and overseeing a vast drug operation that stretched across borders.
According to the FBI, Wedding played a central role in moving hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California, with shipments reaching the US and Canada. Speaking at a news conference, Patel said the former athlete had reinvented himself as a criminal kingpin.
“He went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco-trafficker in modern times,” Patel said, calling him a modern-day Pablo Escobar and El Chapo.
Wedding was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in March, with a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his arrest. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said he has now been flown to the US, where he will face trial. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.
Federal investigators say Wedding’s organisation is responsible for moving around 60 metric tons of cocaine through Southern California alone. He is also accused of ordering multiple murders, including the killing of a federal witness who was set to testify against him. Prosecutors allege Wedding placed a bounty on the witness and used an online Canadian platform to track him down. The witness was later shot dead at a restaurant.
Court records show Wedding’s criminal path began years after his Olympic appearance at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. In 2008, he was arrested during an undercover FBI operation while attempting to buy cocaine in San Diego. He was convicted in 2009, served nearly four years in prison, and was released in December 2011. Authorities say his drug empire took shape soon after.
So far, 36 people have been arrested in connection with the network, while 19 individuals, including Wedding, have been sanctioned by the US Treasury. Investigators have seized drugs, weapons and more than $55 million in illicit assets. Mexican authorities recently recovered luxury items, vehicles and even Olympic medals believed to belong to Wedding.
Officials say several suspects remain at large, with further arrests expected.
