Former athlete Ryan Wedding has been labeled one of the ten most wanted fugitives by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to Akil Davis, head of the FBI office in Los Angeles. Davis described Wedding as someone who went from excelling on the ski slopes during the Olympics to leading cocaine distribution on the streets of U.S. cities and his native Canada. Special Agent Matthew Allen added that Wedding unleashed an "avalanche of death and destruction".
In a press conference, it was communicated that Ryan Wedding, a 43-year-old former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, is wanted for leading a drug network through Mexico, a country where he is presumed to reside. A reward of up to 10 million dollars for information leading to his capture was announced by the Drug Rewards Program of the U.S. State Department, in coordination with the governments of Mexico and Canada.
Ryan Wedding is wanted in the United States for several drug-related offenses, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise, and attempted murder in the same context, among others. His activities included sending large quantities of cocaine from Mexico to Los Angeles and then transporting it to Canada in trailers.
The former Canadian Olympic athlete is implicated in violent acts, such as the murder of two family members in Ontario in November 2023, in response to an alleged drug theft. Of the 16 accused in this plot, Wedding and an accomplice remain at large. According to prosecutor Martin Estrada, this case involved a tragic case of mistaken identity that resulted in the murder of the individuals in front of their daughter.
The U.S. State Department has called for public assistance in the search for Wedding, emphasizing the danger posed by the fugitive and the importance of his capture before he puts others at risk. Wedding, whose full name is Ryan James Wedding, represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Born on September 14, 1981, in Thunder Bay, Canada, Wedding has been known by various nicknames throughout his criminal history. His foray into drug trafficking began after his sports career, with a base of operations in Mexico.
Wedding was investigated for drug-related offenses in the past and served a prison sentence for purchasing cocaine from a U.S. government agent in 2010. After leaving prison, he consolidated himself as a leader of the transnational drug trafficking organization, gaining a reputation for his relentless and ruthless nature. The reward for his arrest has been increased amid U.S. efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking coming from its neighbors, Mexico and Canada.
