Ryan Wedding, Former Canadian Olympian and Alleged Drug Kingpin, Arrested After Months on the Run

January 23, 2026 — International Crime News — Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged international drug trafficking boss, has been arrested after more than a year on the run, law enforcement sources reported today. Wedding was one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, with a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his capture. From Olympian to Fugitive: Wedding, 44, represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City before abandoning his athletic career and, according to U.S. authorities, founding a sprawling transnational narcotics trafficking enterprise. The FBI has described him as one of the most dangerous drug lords operating in North America, with alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and distribution networks stretching from Colombia to Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

He was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list on March 6, 2025, accused of multiple federal crimes including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances, continuing criminal enterprise, murder in connection with a drug crime, and attempted murder in connection with a drug crime. The U.S. government had raised the reward for information leading to his arrest to $15 million, underscoring both the threat he posed and the priority of his capture.

According to prosecutors, Wedding’s organization allegedly trafficked tons of cocaine and other drugs annually, generating more than $1 billion in illicit profits. Members of his network were accused of violence and murder to protect the enterprise and silence witnesses. One of the most shocking revelations in the case involved an alleged contract killing in Medellín, Colombia, in January 2025, where a potential witness was murdered before testifying against Wedding’s organization. U.S. authorities also alleged that Canadian members of the network assisted in facilitating information and logistics for the enterprise.

Today’s reports confirm Wedding has been taken into custody. Sources describe the arrest as the culmination of an intense international manhunt involving the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and foreign partners, including Mexican authorities where Wedding had been believed to be hiding. Wedding was arrested after evading capture for nearly a year, during which time authorities conducted multiple raids, including in Mexico, where motorcycles, Olympic medals, artwork, and other items believed to be tied to him were seized.

Details about the location of the arrest and the agency that actually made the capture are expected to be released during an upcoming joint press conference by U.S. and Canadian law enforcement officials. In connection with Operation Giant Slalom, various alleged associates have been arrested over the past months, including seven Canadians apprehended in late 2025 at the request of U.S. prosecutors, some facing extradition on charges tied to Wedding’s operation. Law enforcement previously described elements of Wedding’s network as “extremely violent,” with alleged hits ordered to intimidate or eliminate witnesses. The operation has involved multiple international jurisdictions and highlighted the challenges of dismantling transnational organized crime groups.

Authorities warn that related networks and distribution cells may still be active in Canada and abroad. The RCMP, FBI, and other partners continue investigative operations focused on dismantling remnants of the enterprise and prosecuting remaining figures tied to the organization’s drug and violent crime activities.