Ex-Olympian Ryan Wedding Captured in Mexico, Faces US Extradition

MEXICO CITY (Azat TV) – Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and alleged drug kingpin, has been arrested in Mexico after years as an international fugitive and will be extradited to the United States. His capture on Thursday night in Mexico City marks the culmination of a multi-agency international manhunt, with U.S. officials accusing the 44-year-old of orchestrating a vast transnational cocaine trafficking operation responsible for importing an estimated 60 metric tonnes of cocaine annually and ordering numerous murders.

International Manhunt Ends in Mexico

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wedding’s arrest on Friday, praising the collaborative efforts of U.S., Canadian, and Mexican law enforcement authorities. Wedding, who had been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, is expected to make his initial court appearance in Los Angeles on Monday. While U.S. officials provided limited details on the capture, Mexico’s top security official, Omar García Harfuch, stated on X that Patel had visited Mexico City on Thursday and departed with two fugitives from the FBI’s most wanted list. Harfuch noted that one of the arrested individuals was a “Canadian citizen who voluntarily surrendered” at the U.S. embassy in Mexico, a detail the Associated Press later attributed to Wedding, citing an unnamed Mexican Security Cabinet member.

Commissioner Mike Duheme, head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), spoke alongside Director Patel, emphasizing the necessity of international cooperation against organized crime. “No single agency or nation can combat transnational organised crime alone,” Duheme stated, adding, “We can finally say that our communities, our countries, are much safer with the arrest of Ryan Wedding.” Director Patel also acknowledged the crucial role of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, which participated in Wedding’s apprehension, noting to Vanity Fair that it was a ‘complex, high-stakes operation with zero margin for error.’

Allegations of a Global Drug Empire

Wedding faces an array of felony charges in the U.S., including murder, witness tampering and intimidation, money laundering, and drug trafficking. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi unveiled a new indictment against him in November 2025, expanding on charges filed in 2024. Authorities allege Wedding’s organization was the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada, generating an estimated $1 billion annually. The operation reportedly spanned North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Beyond drug trafficking, Wedding is accused of ordering dozens of murders globally, including in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Officials specifically accuse him of killing a federal witness in a case against him. According to authorities, Wedding and co-conspirators used a Canadian website called “The Dirty News” to post a photograph of the witness, who was subsequently identified and shot in the head at a restaurant in Medellín in January. Director Patel likened Wedding to a ‘modern-day Pablo Escobar’ and Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, underscoring the perceived scale and brutality of his alleged criminal enterprise.

Years on the Run and High-Stakes Pursuit

Wedding, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games in the men’s giant parallel slalom ski event but did not win any medals, allegedly launched his criminal enterprise after being released from a U.S. federal prison in 2011, where he served a sentence for cocaine distribution. During his years as a fugitive, he reportedly used multiple aliases, including ‘El Jefe,’ ‘Giant,’ ‘Public Enemy,’ ‘James Conrad King,’ and ‘Jesse King.’ The FBI stated he had undergone plastic surgery to alter his appearance while evading capture.

Officials assert that Wedding had been living a luxurious lifestyle in Mexico. In December, Mexican authorities seized $40 million worth of racing motorcycles, luxury paintings, artworks, drugs, and two Olympic gold medals allegedly belonging to him. It was not immediately clear to whom the seized medals belonged. The FBI had previously offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest, though Director Patel declined to comment on whether anyone would claim the reward money. Wedding also faces separate drug trafficking charges in Canada dating back to 2015, according to the RCMP. Director Patel also mentioned the recent arrest of American fugitive Alejandro Castillo, wanted for murder, who was also apprehended in Mexico and will be extradited.

The arrest of Ryan Wedding signifies a notable triumph for international law enforcement collaboration, demonstrating the persistent reach of authorities against high-profile figures in transnational organized crime, regardless of their past notoriety or efforts to evade justice.