TL;DR
- Ryan Wedding, former Olympic snowboarder, faces federal murder and drug trafficking charges.
- He is accused of operating as a major cocaine trafficker, linked to the Sinaloa cartel.
- Wedding is believed to be hiding in Mexico and is among the FBI's most sought-after fugitives.
- He is charged with ordering the murder of a witness and the deaths of a couple in Ontario.
Multiple federal charges, including murder and drug trafficking, have been filed against Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarding standout for Team Canada.
The 44-year-old, a participant in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, is thought to be concealing himself in Mexico, reportedly under the Sinaloa cartel's security. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have accused Wedding, referred to as the "modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar" by FBI director Kash Patel, of operating as a major cocaine trafficker.
Wedding, once a celebrated snowboarding champion, is now among the FBI's most sought-after fugitives.
Who is Ryan Wedding?
Wedding, aged 44, previously excelled in snowboarding, representing Team Canada and participating in the 2002 Winter Olympics. He faces accusations of collaborating with The Sinaloa cartel, a prominent Mexican drug-trafficking syndicate.
During a November 19 press conference, Attorney General Pam Bondi identified Wedding as Canada's leading cocaine distributor. Wedding is among over 35 individuals indicted in this case, and he is accused of orchestrating the killings of at least three people, one of whom was slated to provide testimony against him in January.
Patel stated that the individual is accountable for orchestrating a drug trafficking and narco-terrorism operation of a magnitude not witnessed for a considerable period, according to The New York Times..
Ryan Wedding murder case
Wedding is charged with ordering the murder of a witness expected to testify against him in Colombia, according to U.S. Authorities. Wedding and co-conspirators are accused of using a Canadian website called "the Dirty News" to post a photograph of the witness so he could be identified and killed. The man was followed into a restaurant and shot in the back of the head.
Wedding is believed to have ordered the man's murder to avoid extradition to the U.S. His lawyer was also apprehended, with Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, saying that the lawyer told Wedding that the murder of a federal witness would see the case be dismissed.
Wedding put a price on the victim's head, mistakenly thinking the victim's demise would lead to the dropping of criminal charges against him and his global drug operation, and would also prevent his extradition to the U.S. He was mistaken, according to Essayli, via The Associated Press.
Wedding is also alleged to have contributed to the demise of a couple in their 50s, who were fatally shot inside their Caledon, Ontario residence. Authorities stated the homicides were a result of mistaken identity, with the property reportedly targeted due to a disagreement concerning illicit merchandise that had been pilfered.
Wedding is also linked with the murders of two other people, according to The Associated Press.
Ryan Wedding charges
Wedding is accused of drug-trafficking and five murder charges. Authorities confiscated assets valued at $13.1 million and $3.2 million in cryptocurrency. Federal authorities reported that police also seized firearms and 2,000 kilograms of cocaine.
Ryan Wedding's ties to the cartel
U.S. Authorities assert that Wedding collaborated with The Sinaloa cartel. Bondi states that Wedding's operation smuggles 60 metric tons of cocaine into the U.S. Annually.
Federal officials suspect that Wedding's drug operation, which uses the pseudonyms "El Jefe", "Public Enemy", and "James Conrad King", extends its reach all the way to Colombia.
Where is Ryan Wedding?
Wedding is believed to be hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel.
Has Ryan Wedding been taken into custody?
Wedding has a prior arrest record. He was incarcerated in a U.S. Penitentiary following a conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, with his sentencing occurring in 2010, according to federal documents acquired by The Associated Press. Martin Estrada, a former U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, stated in 2024 that Wedding is thought to have recommenced drug trafficking activities after his release.
Wedding hasn't yet been arrested on his latest charges, although he was first indicted in Oct. 2024 on charges of trafficking copious amounts of cocaine from California to Canada. He's facing three charges of murder — one of which stems from the killing of a man expected to testify against him in January, the other involving a couple in their 50s who police say were killed in their homes in Caledon, Ontario.
A $15 million reward is presently available for details that help apprehend Wedding, an increase from the previous $10 million. Additionally, federal authorities are offering $2 million for information that results in the arrest of other individuals implicated in the witness's murder.
Despite his formal lack of arrest, Wedding is a part of the FBI's most wanted list.
FBI Most Wanted List
This is a look at the nine individuals comprising the latest version of the FBI's Most Wanted list, and the accusations brought against them.
- Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel (murder)
- Alejandro Castillo (murder)
- Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias (racketeering, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns, and conspiracy to possess them)
- Ruja Ignatova (fraud)
- Omar Alexander Cardenas (murder)
- Wilver Villegas-Palomino (narcoterrorism, international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution)
- Fausto Isidro Meza Flores (involved in a conspiracy to produce and distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana)
- Ryan James Wedding (Drug-trafficking)
- Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano (international cocaine distribution)
Ryan's Olympic snowboarding career
Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Wedding shone on the slopes, emerging as a budding skiing and snowboarding prospect after moving to Coquitlam, British Columbia as an adolescent.
As a teenager, he secured a place on the Canadian National Ski Team and won a silver medal at the 2001 Junior World Championships. Wedding participated in his first Olympic Games during the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he placed 24th in the men's parallel giant jump, according to RCI.
Shortly thereafter, he stepped away from the sport.