Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding has been arrested in Mexico and will be extradited to the U.S. after years on the run, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Wedding, who had been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, is accused of running a transnational drug trafficking operation that moved tonnes of cocaine across international borders.
At 44 years old, Wedding was also wanted on murder charges. U.S. officials believed he was living in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
The head of Canada's federal police force, which assisted in the investigation, praised the successful joint operation alongside U.S. and Mexican law enforcement.
No single agency or nation can combat transnational organized crime alone, said Mike Duheme, Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). We can finally say that our communities, our countries, are much safer with the arrest of Ryan Wedding, he added.
Wedding is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.
U.S. officials allege that Wedding’s organization imported around 60 metric tonnes of cocaine per year, making it the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada, with revenue estimated at $1 billion annually.
Before his capture, Wedding was accused of killing a federal witness in a case against him and is believed to have orchestrated numerous other murders. His alleged criminal empire was said to have begun following his release from a U.S. federal prison in 2011.
Officials reported that Wedding lived in luxury while on the run, with recent seizures including $40 million in luxury items, including racing motorcycles and other valuables. It's unclear how he managed to accumulate such wealth while evading authorities.
During the news conference, Patel compared Wedding to notorious figures like Pablo Escobar and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, emphasizing the international collaboration required to apprehend such high-profile fugitives.
Prior to his arrest, the FBI placed a $15 million reward for information leading to Wedding’s capture, although it remains unclear if anyone will claim the reward.
His arrest marks a significant development in the fight against organized drug trafficking, shining a light on the extensive networks operating across borders.
