Former Olympic Snowboarder Arrested on Serious Drug Charges
Ryan Wedding, once a Canadian Olympic snowboarder, was apprehended in Mexico and subsequently transferred to California. Wedding, aged 44, is accused of transporting approximately 60 tons of cocaine annually from Latin America to the United States and is also implicated in several homicides, as reported by officials on Friday.
The former athlete surrendered at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City on Thursday. The arrest was the result of over a year of collaborative efforts among U.S. investigators and authorities from Mexico, Canada, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Authorities allege that Wedding facilitated the movement of cocaine through Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and Southern California with backing from the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. He was reportedly known by several aliases, including “El Jefe,” “Public Enemy,” and “James Conrad Kin.”
In a press briefing in California, Patel remarked, “He’s the modern-day El Chapo,” drawing parallels to Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the infamous cartel leader now incarcerated in the U.S.
International Collaboration and Arrest
Wedding has a criminal history, having been convicted in 2010 in the U.S. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He is currently facing new charges linked to a multinational drug trafficking network and several murders, including that of a federal witness.
Wedding’s legal representation remains unclear as no attorneys have been documented in federal court records concerning his ongoing cases.
U.S. authorities, who added Wedding to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list last March, had offered a $15 million reward for his arrest and conviction. Patel emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the capture, stating, “When you go after a guy like Ryan Wedding, it takes a united front, and that’s what you’re seeing here.”
Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed on X that a Canadian citizen had surrendered at the U.S. embassy, later identified as Wedding. The individual providing this information requested anonymity due to restrictions on public communication.
Wedding is slated to make a federal court appearance on Monday in California. Akil Davis, leading the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, noted that 36 individuals have been arrested in association with Wedding’s alleged drug operations. The authorities have also seized substantial amounts of drugs, weapons, cash, and luxury items.
Detailed Charges and Allegations
Indicted in the U.S. in 2024, Wedding faces charges encompassing criminal enterprise operations, murder, and cocaine distribution conspiracy. He is accused of running a drug trafficking network that was reportedly the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada. The group allegedly transported cocaine from Colombia, collaborating with Mexican cartels to move the drugs into the U.S. and Canada.
Wedding is also charged with ordering the 2023 killings of two Canadian family members over a drug shipment dispute and another over a drug debt in 2024. Additionally, he faces accusations related to orchestrating the murder of a witness in Colombia last November to prevent extradition.
Canadian authorities have also expressed approval of Wedding’s arrest. Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s minister of public safety, described it as “a significant step forward” in the global struggle against drug trafficking.
Another Notable Arrest
FBI Director Kash Patel also revealed the apprehension of Alejandro Rosales Castillo, a 27-year-old U.S. citizen wanted for the 2016 murder of a North Carolina woman. Castillo, facing charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, was detained in Mexico last week.
In recent years, Mexico has increasingly extradited cartel members to the U.S., a move seen as a response to pressures from U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently announced plans to target drug networks south of the border.
