Ryan James Wedding: What the FBI’s most wanted fugitive’s new photo reveals about the Canadian Olympic snowboarder’s whereabouts
Another photo released by the US Embassy in Mexico shows him with short hair and a scruffy beard, wearing a green shirt in front of a gray wall. The date of the second photo has not been confirmed.
Ryan James Wedding accused of drug trafficking and multiple murders
Ryan Wedding is wanted “for allegedly operating and participating in an international drug trafficking operation that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada and other locations in the United States,” the FBI’s Los Angeles office said in a statement at X.
“Additionally, Wedding is alleged to have been involved in the planning of multiple murders in furtherance of these drug crimes,” the office added. The nine-count federal indictment also alleges that Wedding ordered the death of a federal witness, who was executed with five bullets to the head earlier this year, before he could testify, People reported.
What does the FBI say about Ryan Wedding?
The FBI believes Wedding was living in Mexico and working with the Sinaloa Cartel to route Colombian cocaine to the United States and Canada. The U.S. State Department’s Narcotics Rewards Program is offering up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Wedding; This is one of the largest active rewards worldwide.
Who is Ryan Wedding?
Ryan Wedding, 44, is a former Olympic snowboarder from Thunder Bay, Canada, who has now become one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Wedding, who competed in the Giant Slalom at the 2002 Winter Olympics, later adopted several nicknames, including “El Jefe,” “The Giant” and “The Public Enemy” as he allegedly led a violent international drug trafficking network.
Wedding’s organization shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada and parts of the United States, according to U.S. officials. Investigators say he also directed multiple murders and an attempted murder to protect his drug enterprise. His inclusion on the FBI’s list makes him the 535th person to replace fugitive Alexis Flores.
A federal indictment filed by the Central District of California charges Wedding and his second-in-command, Andrew Clark, with running a continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking and murder. A superseding indictment links them to additional violent crimes and a Canada-based cocaine transportation network that operated from January to August 2024. Authorities allege Wedding ordered the killings in Ontario in retaliation for stolen shipments and drug debts.
The U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Wedding; the biggest incentive in this case, in addition to the FBI’s $50,000 reward. Investigators believe he may be hiding in Mexico but could also be in Canada, the United States, Central or South America.
