Ryan Wedding Arrested: How the Former Olympian Ended Up on the FBI Most Wanted List
After a years-long international manhunt by U.S. and allied law enforcement organizations, Ryan James Wedding, a once-promising Canadian Olympic snowboarder, was apprehended in Mexico City on January 22, 2026.
Wedding, who is currently 44 years old, gained notoriety through sports but in a completely different way. Following his participation in the men's parallel giant slalom competition for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics, he was accused of leading a global drug trafficking enterprise that transported tons of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico to the United States and Canada.
Major Criminal Charges
Wedding was charged by U.S. federal officials with operating a billion-dollar narcotics enterprise with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel of Mexico, one of the world's most potent drug trafficking organizations. His group is accused of distributing drugs throughout North America via semitrucks and other means, moving up to 60 metric tons of cocaine a year.
In addition to drug trafficking, Wedding was accused by federal authorities of orchestrating several murders, including the death of a federal witness in Colombia and other violent retaliations related to his illegal business.
Capture and Extradition
In March 2025, Wedding was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, and the agency was promising up to $15 million for information that would result in his capture. He apparently lived under false identities and tried to avoid detection throughout his nearly ten years on the run. He turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and was apprehended without any opposition.
After that, he was flown to Southern California, where he is scheduled to appear in federal court in the United States shortly to answer to allegations of drug trafficking, conspiracy, murder, witness tampering, and money laundering.
International Law Enforcement Effort
The FBI, DEA, Mexican Federal Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and other agencies worked closely together to make the arrest, demonstrating a widespread international effort to break up Wedding's alleged criminal network.
Along with seizing significant assets connected to the enterprise, such as cash, firearms, cars, luxury items, and rare motorcycles, authorities also found evidence indicating the sophisticated use of techniques like cryptocurrency to transport and launder drug trade earnings.
Public Reactions and Legacy
FBI Director Kash Patel compared Wedding to infamous individuals like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo because of the scope and brutality of his alleged illegal operations, calling the capture a significant victory in the battle against international drug trafficking.
In addition to Wedding's prior athletic career, the case has garnered attention because it shows how people can go from international sports celebrity to international criminal notoriety. From representing Canada on snowy slopes to being charged with some of the most serious crimes in North America, Wedding's narrative takes a dramatic and tragic turn that has drawn attention from the public and legal community across several continents.
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