Former Canadian snowboarder Ryan Wedding, wanted for cocaine trafficking and murder, captured in Mexico and extradited to the United States.
LOS ANGELES: A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin has been arrested in Mexico and brought to the United States.
FBI chief Kash Patel announced the capture of Ryan Wedding, who faces cocaine trafficking and murder charges.
Wedding, 44, was on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list with a USD 15 million reward for his capture.
“He went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco trafficker in modern times,” Patel said at a press conference.
“This individual and his organization in the Sinaloa Cartel poured narcotics into the streets of North America.”
Patel described Wedding as a “modern day El Chapo” and “modern day Pablo Escobar.”
The FBI director said Wedding was arrested in Mexico City following an inter-agency effort with Mexican law enforcement.
Wedding had been hiding in Mexico for over a decade and was wanted since 2024.
He is accused of smuggling 60 metric tons of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico into the US and Canada.
Wedding also allegedly orchestrated multiple murders of victims and government witnesses.
Akil Davis of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office said 36 people connected to the ring have been arrested.
Assets worth tens of millions of dollars have been seized, including luxury vehicles and artwork.
Seven people were arrested in Canada in November, including Wedding’s lawyer Deepak Paradkar.
The United States is seeking their extradition to face related charges.
Federal prosecutors allege Paradkar advised Wedding to kill a witness in a pending criminal case.
That witness was shot five times in the head in a Medellin restaurant in January 2025.
Wedding competed for Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
He finished 24th in the parallel giant slalom event.
