In a dramatic transcontinental law enforcement operation, Ryan Wedding—a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who allegedly evolved into one of the world’s most prolific narcotics traffickers—has been apprehended and extradited to the United States. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest during a press conference held Friday on the tarmac of Ontario, California International Airport.
Wedding, 44, had occupied a spot on the FBI’s prestigious ‘Ten Most Wanted Fugitives’ list, with the U.S. State Department offering a substantial $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. Director Patel characterized Wedding as a criminal mastermind on par with infamous drug lords such as El Chapo and Pablo Escobar, alleging his central role within the Sinaloa Cartel.
According to federal prosecutors, Wedding stands accused of orchestrating the smuggling of approximately 60 metric tons of cocaine from Colombia through Mexican corridors into U.S. and Canadian markets. His alleged criminal empire also involved coordinating multiple murders, including the assassination of government witnesses. One such victim was fatally shot five times in the head at a Medellin restaurant in January 2025.
The arrest, executed in Mexico City on Thursday night, culminated a decade-long international manhunt. Akil Davis, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, disclosed that 36 co-conspirators linked to Wedding’s network have been arrested, with tens of millions in assets—including luxury vehicles and fine art—seized.
Wedding, who competed for Canada in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Olympics, is scheduled for an initial court appearance Monday morning. The case represents one of the most significant narco-trafficking prosecutions in recent history, highlighting the intersection of international sports and organized crime.