Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, has been arrested after being accused of running one of the most violent transnational drug trafficking organisations operating between Mexico and the United States, according to US law enforcement officials.
Wedding, 44, is alleged to have overseen a criminal enterprise responsible for importing around 60 metric tonnes of cocaine each year into Los Angeles, primarily via semitrucks travelling from Mexico. US authorities say the operation generated vast profits which were laundered through an international network.
The former athlete, who represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, had been placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list earlier this year, with a reward of up to $15 million offered for information leading to his arrest or prosecution.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi previously described Wedding as the leader of a major criminal organisation, while FBI Director Kash Patel compared him to notorious drug lords Pablo Escobar and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Wedding was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2024 with attempted murder and multiple offences linked to the alleged drug enterprise. In November, a grand jury indictment was unsealed accusing him of ordering the killing of a federal witness who was due to testify against him.
Prosecutors allege Wedding placed a bounty on the witness and used a Canadian website to track the victim and his wife. The witness was later fatally shot at a restaurant.
Court documents state that Wedding’s criminal activities began in 2008, six years after his Olympic appearance. Federal prosecutors say he travelled to San Diego to purchase cocaine alongside two associates, unaware the dealer was an undercover FBI agent. Wedding was convicted in 2009 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, before being released in December 2011.
Authorities allege that following his release, Wedding established and expanded the drug trafficking network that later made him one of the most sought-after fugitives in North America.
Last month, Mexican authorities seized dozens of motorcycles worth an estimated $40 million believed to be owned by Wedding, along with vehicles, drugs, artwork and two Olympic medals at multiple locations in Mexico City. Investigators believe he had been hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel.
Further details surrounding his arrest are expected to be announced at a law enforcement press conference.