Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been arrested following a lengthy investigation into his alleged role as a major drug kingpin. Federal authorities announced his capture on Friday after a pursuit that spanned 17 months and saw him on the run for over a decade. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California detailed two indictments against Wedding, 44, highlighting accusations that he and his associates trafficked more than $1 billion in cocaine across the United States and Canada, alongside orchestrating multiple murders, including the assassination of a key government witness.
The extensive investigation has led to charges against 36 individuals tied to Wedding’s organization, which reportedly included a Canadian attorney, a crime blogger, and several hitmen. This case raises questions about how a former athlete transitioned from a footnote in Olympic history to being compared to notorious figures like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo.
From Sports to Crime: The Journey of Ryan Wedding
Born into a family deeply rooted in snow sports, Wedding’s grandparents owned a ski area in Thunder Bay, Ontario. His father competed in college skiing, and his uncle coached Canada’s women’s alpine team during the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France. Wedding began skiing at a young age but switched to snowboarding, quickly rising through the ranks to join the Canadian national snowboard team by the age of 15. He qualified for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics in parallel giant slalom, where he finished 24th.
During the early stages of the FBI’s investigation, numerous former teammates and coaches declined to comment on Wedding, indicating that many did not recall him.
The allegations against Wedding are severe. U.S. prosecutors assert he led a criminal enterprise that became Canada’s largest cocaine supplier, collaborating with Colombian paramilitary groups and Mexican cartels to distribute drugs throughout North America. In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi remarked that Wedding controlled “one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in the world.” The FBI echoed this sentiment, with Director Kash Patel labeling Wedding as a “modern-day Pablo Escobar.”
Criminal Activities and the Pursuit of Justice
Wedding’s criminal history dates back to a 2010 conviction for attempting to buy 24 kilograms of cocaine from an undercover agent in Los Angeles, for which he served a four-year sentence. Despite a subsequent drug trafficking charge in Canada in 2015, he managed to evade capture and allegedly continued his operations unchecked for nearly a decade.
In their efforts to locate Wedding, federal authorities seized a rare 2002 Mercedes CLK-GTR valued at over $13 million and numerous high-value motorcycles in Mexico, valued at more than $40 million. Additionally, they uncovered two Canadian national snowboarding medals linked to him. Investigators managed to recruit a trusted lieutenant of Wedding’s as an informant in 2023, leading to critical insights into his network.
The indictments describe a shocking degree of violence, including an alleged plot to murder a former associate who became a government witness. Prosecutors claim Wedding placed a $5 million bounty on the informant, initiating a scheme that involved hiring an assassin to eliminate him in Colombia. Reports indicate that a crime blogger associated with Wedding publicized the assassination, further entrenching the chilling narrative surrounding his operations.
The FBI placed Wedding on its Ten Most Wanted list in March 2023, increasing the reward for information leading to his capture to $15 million following the murder of the witness. He ultimately turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and was transported to Southern California, where he remains in custody.
Wedding is expected to make his initial court appearance soon, facing serious charges including drug trafficking, witness tampering, and conspiracy to commit murder. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Several of his alleged associates, including the crime blogger and a defense attorney, are also facing similar charges, with some awaiting extradition to the United States.
The unfolding case highlights a dramatic intersection of sports and crime, with Wedding’s transition from Olympic athlete to alleged drug lord captivating public attention and raising significant questions about the complexities of criminal enterprises operating beneath the surface of society.
