Ryan James Wedding, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who has been on the run for years since being indicted on violent drug trafficking charges in 2024 and a more recent murder charge, was arrested Thursday night in Mexico, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Capturing Modern-Day El Chapo
Authorities allege the 44-year-old is a member of the Sinaloa Cartel and has been hiding in Mexico for over a decade. Patel posted to X on Friday, informing the public of Wedding’s capture and detailing his alleged criminal actions.
“He was allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California to the United States and Canada – as a member of the Sinaloa Cartel,” Patel wrote.
“He went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco-trafficker in modern times. He is a modern-day El Chapo, he is a modern-day Pablo Escobar, and he thought he could evade justice,” Patel said at a news conference.
Wedding was placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list of fugitives, and in November 2025, the reward was increased from $10 to $15 million for any information leading to his arrest. Attorney General Pam Bondi said they are flying Wedding to the United States, “where he will face justice.”
She reaffirmed Patel’s efforts in locating the fugitive in a post on X: “Director Patel has worked tirelessly to bring fugitives to justice. We are grateful to our incredible Ambassador Ron Johnson and the Mexican authorities for assisting us in this case.”
Thus far, authorities have arrested 36 people involved in the drug enterprise. The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned 19 of them, including Wedding. Authorities have seized more than 2,300 kilograms of cocaine, 44 kilograms of methamphetamine, 44 kilograms of fentanyl, and over $55 million of illicit assets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department Chief, Jim McDonnell.
They also seized dozens of motorcycles, two Olympic medals, two vehicles, various drugs, and artwork, all believed to be owned by Wedding. Others are still wanted in connection with these crimes, and Akil David, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said the FBI is offering a $2 million reward for information leading to their arrests.
Ryan Wedding to Face Charges
Wedding is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, January 26, 2026, to face a slew of charges, including the orchestrating of the murder of a witness, running a criminal enterprise, committing murder, assorted drug crimes, and conspiring to possess, distribute, and export cocaine.
Davis stated in the news conference that Wedding’s organization is responsible for shipments as large as 60 metric tons of cocaine and transporting it through Southern California. Wedding is also accused of orchestrating “multiple murders of victims and government witnesses.”
“We told you in November we would find Mr. Wedding. And today that day has arrived,” Davis said.
Crimes and Indictment
Wedding was charged in September 2024 with attempted murder and other drug enterprise-related charges. Court documents show that Wedding’s life of crime began in 2008, six years after he participated in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Wedding and two other men traveled to San Diego to buy cocaine, and the dealer they were meeting with was an undercover FBI agent. The men were arrested, and after a trial in November 2009, Wedding was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He received a 4-year federal prison sentence, but was released in December 2011. After his release, he went back to a life of crime and founded his criminal drug enterprise, according to the unsealed indictment.
In November 2025, Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Los Angeles, announced Wedding was being charged in connection with the murder of a federal witness who was supposed to testify against him. The witness was shot five times in the head at a restaurant in Colombia and died at the scene.
Essayli alleged, “Wedding placed a bounty on the victim’s head in the erroneous belief that the victim’s death would result in the dismissal of criminal charges against him and his international drug trafficking ring.”
