Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, a high-ranking fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, has been arrested in Mexico and flown to the United States to face extensive drug trafficking and murder charges. Wedding, 44, surrendered on Thursday, Jan. 22 at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, ending more than a decade on the run. U.S. authorities said the arrest followed over a year of coordinated investigations involving law enforcement agencies in Mexico, Canada, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
What is the significance of Ryan Wedding’s arrest? The arrest of Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder and FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive, marks a significant victory for international law enforcement in dismantling a major multinational drug trafficking operation and bringing a suspected murderer to justice.
According to officials, Wedding is accused of running a multinational drug trafficking operation responsible for moving an estimated 60 tons of cocaine annually from Latin America into the United States. Investigators said the drugs were transported using semitrucks across Colombia, Mexico, Canada and Southern California, allegedly under the protection of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
Authorities said Wedding operated under multiple aliases, including “El Jefe,” “Public Enemy,” and “James Conrad Kin.” FBI Director Kash Patel described him as a major figure in the global drug trade, comparing him to imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Wedding previously served a prison sentence in the United States after being convicted in 2010 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He now faces new federal charges, including running a criminal enterprise, conspiring to distribute narcotics, and ordering multiple killings.
Prosecutors allege that Wedding directed the murders of a federal witness and three other individuals. Among the charges are accusations that he ordered the 2023 killing of two members of a Canadian family in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment, as well as another murder linked to a drug debt in 2024.
In a separate indictment, U.S. authorities allege that Wedding orchestrated the killing of a witness in Colombia to prevent extradition. Investigators said a photograph of NAIJAONPOINT was posted on a Canadian website to aid identification before the victim was followed to a restaurant in Medellín and shot dead.
Wedding competed for Canada in a single snowboarding event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. U.S. officials believe he had been hiding in Mexico for more than 10 years before his arrest. He was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list last March, with a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his capture.
Authorities said at least 36 people have been arrested in connection with the drug network. Law enforcement agencies also seized large quantities of drugs, weapons and cash, along with luxury vehicles, artwork, motorcycles and jewelry worth millions of dollars. Additional rewards of up to $2 million remain available for information leading to further arrests.
Wedding is also wanted in Canada on drug trafficking charges dating back to 2015, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
U.S. officials confirmed that Wedding is expected to appear in federal court in California on Monday. It was not immediately known whether he has legal representation.
In a related development, the FBI announced that another fugitive, Alejandro Rosales Castillo, a 27-year-old U.S. citizen wanted for a 2016 murder in North Carolina, was also arrested in Mexico last week. This arrest highlights the ongoing efforts to apprehend fugitives hiding internationally.
The capture of Ryan Wedding is a significant development in the ongoing fight against international drug trafficking and organized crime, demonstrating the effectiveness of global law enforcement collaboration.
