Former Olympic Snowboarder Ryan Wedding Arrested in Mexico

Canadian ex-Olympian Ryan Wedding, once a competitor in the 2002 Winter Olympics, has been arrested in Mexico in connection with allegations that he operated a major international drug trafficking and organized crime network, U.S. and international authorities confirmed. 

Wedding, 44, a former snowboarder for Canada, was long sought by law enforcement after being placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list amid accusations that he led a transnational cocaine trafficking operation. Prosecutors have described him as the head of a sophisticated drug enterprise that moved large quantities of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and into Southern California and Canada. 

In addition to drug trafficking charges, Wedding faced allegations related to orchestrating the killing of a federal witness who had been set to testify against him, a charge that significantly escalated the manhunt. Authorities alleged the witness was killed in Medellín, Colombia, in early 2025 as part of efforts by Wedding’s organization to evade prosecution. 

U.S. officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, have publicly called the case one of the most significant international narcotics investigations in recent years, with prosecutors likening Wedding to notorious cartel bosses due to the scale and violence linked to his alleged activities. A reward of up to $15 million was offered for information leading to his arrest. 

The arrest follows extensive cooperation among U.S., Mexican and Canadian authorities, who have also charged multiple associates connected to the alleged criminal enterprise. Wedding is expected to be extradited to the United States to face federal charges that include drug trafficking, murder, and continuing criminal enterprise offenses. 

As of the morning of January 23, FBI Director has stated he is have Ryan Wedding flown back to the United States.