From Olympic athlete to “narcoterrorist”: Ryan Wedding, one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, falls

Ryan James Wedding, former Canadian Olympian and one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, was arrested after more than a decade on the run. The capture was confirmed by Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and by Omar García Harfuch, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico.

Wedding was on the FBI’s 10 most wanted criminals list and had a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture. This, due to his alleged participation in drug trafficking and murders in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia.

A MILLIONAIRE DRUG TRAFFICKING NETWORK

According to investigations by the United States Department of Justice, the criminal organization headed by Wedding would have generated more than one billion dollars annually in illicit profits through cocaine trafficking.

The then Secretary of Justice, Pam Bondi, previously indicated that the former athlete took refuge in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel. From where he coordinated shipments of large shipments of drugs from Colombia, through Mexico and southern California, to the United States and Canada.

“A MODERN VERSION OF ESCOBAR AND ‘EL CHAPO’”

FBI Director Kash Patel called Wedding a high-profile criminal figure.

“Ryan James Wedding is a modern version of Pablo Escobar and ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán,” he said.

Through the official FBI account on X, Patel confirmed the arrest and highlighted bilateral cooperation:

“Ryan James Wedding was arrested in Mexico last night. He is being transferred from Mexico to the United States to face justice.”

He added that Wedding had been wanted since 2024 on charges of cocaine trafficking and murder. And that he had been hiding in Mexico for more than ten years.

MEXICO-UNITED STATES COOPERATION

Secretary Omar García Harfuch revealed that Wedding voluntarily surrendered at the United States Embassy in Mexico, as a result of an agreement between both governments.

“It was agreed to continue coordinated work for the benefit of both nations, with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Harfuch.

The official highlighted that the FBI director returned to the United States accompanied by two priority objectives, including Wedding, underlining the strengthening of the exchange of information between both countries.

FROM OLYMPIC SPORTS TO ORGANIZED CRIME

Ryan Wedding was born in Canada and represented his country at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, where he placed 24th in the snowboard parallel giant slalom.

Before his sporting retirement, his last official appearance was on March 31, 2002 in the National Championship, where he did not finish the test. His last great achievement occurred weeks before, taking first place in a FIS Snowboard World Cup.

After leaving the sport, Wedding went on to lead a transnational criminal network. Being accused of being responsible for the murder of witnesses and operating international drug trafficking routes.

ACCUSATIONS OF EXTREME VIOLENCE

Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed that Wedding “orchestrated the murder of a federal witness” by spreading his image on a fake news site. The victim, Jonathan Acebedo-García, a key FBI collaborator, was murdered in Medellín.

The authorities warned that Wedding modified his physical appearance to evade justice and described him as a highly dangerous criminal.

AN EMBLEMATIC CASE

The fall of Ryan Wedding marks one of the most significant blows against international drug trafficking in recent years and shows how figures from elite sports can end up linked to criminal structures with global reach.