A shocking twist in the case of Ryan Wedding, the former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. After years on the run, the 44-year-old has been apprehended in Mexico, according to authorities.
Wedding, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics, was charged in 2024 with running a sophisticated drug trafficking operation. Prosecutors allege he used semi-trucks to move cocaine between Colombia, Mexico, Southern California and Canada. His criminal aliases included “El Jefe,” “Public Enemy” and “James Conrad King.”
In a new indictment unveiled last November, Wedding was accused of orchestrating multiple murders, witness tampering and intimidation, money laundering, and additional drug trafficking offences. Authorities say he and his co-conspirators used a Canadian website called The Dirty News to post a photograph of a witness, who was then tracked down and shot dead in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia.
“This is a significant arrest that will disrupt a major international criminal enterprise,” said FBI Director Kash Patel, who is set to announce the arrest at a news conference in California later today. “Wedding was one of our top fugitives, and his capture is a testament to the tireless work of our agents and partners.”
Prior to his Olympic snowboarding career, Wedding had a previous conviction in the US for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, for which he was sentenced to prison in 2010. He also faces separate drug trafficking charges in Canada dating back to 2015.
The arrest comes with a $15 million reward for information leading to Wedding’s capture and conviction. Authorities are hopeful this development will bring some closure to the victims and their families who have suffered at the hands of this dangerous criminal network.
