Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who was wanted by the FBI on charges of murder and money laundering in connection with suspected drug trafficking into the United States, has been arrested, federal officials confirmed on January 23.
Wedding was taken into custody in Mexico on January 22, FBI Director Kash Patel announced in a post on X, and US Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had been extradited to the US for federal prosecution.
Former Olympic athlete Ryan Wedding arrested on drug trafficking charges
Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been arrested by the FBI on murder and money laundering charges related to suspected drug trafficking into the United States.
Wedding, 44, was wanted by the FBI in connection with a “transnational criminal enterprise.” Mr. Bondi called the Canadian “one of the most prolific and violent drug lords in the world.”
“This is #6 of the top 10 most wanted fugitives captured by the FBI in the past year, combined with fugitives who have been on the run for almost 40 years,” Patel said on social media.
Authorities will hold a press conference on Friday, Jan. 23, at Southern California’s Ontario International Airport to explain the incident, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Los Angeles office told USA TODAY.
Wedding accused of distributing cocaine, collaborating with Mexican cartels
In November, federal authorities released an indictment charging Mr. Wedding with witness intimidation, murder and money laundering.
At the time, Attorney General Pam Bondi called Wedding “Canada’s largest cocaine distributor.” He is also believed to be involved in the sale of other illegal drugs, including fentanyl, while working with the Mexico-based Sinaloa cartel, which Bondi said is “very protective of him.”
Justice Department and FBI announce new charges and reward for Ryan’s wedding
Canadian former Olympian snowboarder Ryan Wedding faces new charges in the United States for allegedly running a cocaine empire tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel.
More than 35 people have been charged so far in connection with the federal case, officials said. Bondi said Wedding’s organization imports 60 tons of cocaine into the United States from Mexico each year, generating billions of dollars in annual profits.
“Wedding started with a crush on the Olympic slopes and ended with distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and his native Canada,” Akil Davis, deputy director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said at a press conference in November.
When did Ryan Wedding compete in the Olympics?
Wedding represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He competed in the men’s snowboard parallel giant slalom and finished 24th.
This is a developing story.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund
