Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding arrested in Mexico after decade on the run
Ryan Wedding, once a Canadian Olympic snowboarder and later accused of running an international drug trafficking operation, was taken into custody in Mexico after more than a decade hiding from authorities.
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By Torontoer Staff
Ryan Wedding, the former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, was arrested in Mexico last night after more than a decade as a fugitive, the FBI said. The agency said he had been linked to a transnational drug trafficking operation and had been hiding from law enforcement since at least the late 2000s.
FBI director Kash Patel posted the agency’s announcement on X, and the bureau has circulated images of Wedding in Mexico taken in 2025. Authorities said some of his possessions were seized in recent months, but his location had remained unknown until the arrest.
What the FBI statement says
In its public statement, the FBI described Wedding as a member of the Sinaloa Cartel who regularly moved large quantities of cocaine. The agency says his shipments ran from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to destinations in the United States and Canada.
Wedding routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California to the United States and Canada, as a member of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Kash Patel, FBI director
Allegations and court records
Court documents reviewed by NBC News show allegations that Wedding’s criminal activity began in 2008. In addition to drug trafficking, the documents allege he orchestrated the murder of a key witness. The case involves international investigations and charges that span multiple jurisdictions.
Authorities have not released full charging documents publicly, and details of the murder allegation remain in ongoing legal filings. Officials also have said items linked to Wedding were located and seized in recent months, which the FBI says led investigators closer to his whereabouts.
From the Salt Lake City Olympics to fugitive status
Wedding competed for Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. According to the timeline in court records, the alleged criminal activities that later prompted the investigation began about six years after those Games.
Over the following decade and a half he is accused of building a role in cross-border trafficking. He appeared on social media in ways that drew attention, and investigators eventually connected several possessions to his activities as they pursued leads across borders.
Timeline: key dates and developments
- 2002: Competed for Canada in snowboarding at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
- 2008: Court documents allege the start of criminal activity linked to drug trafficking.
- 2010s: Investigators say Wedding became associated with transnational trafficking networks.
- 2025: FBI circulated images of Wedding in Mexico.
- January 23, 2026: Arrested in Mexico, according to an FBI statement.
Next steps and available information
Mexican authorities took Wedding into custody last night and the FBI confirmed the arrest publicly. Specifics about the custody status, the location of detention and whether an extradition request has been formally lodged were not immediately available. Officials typically coordinate across agencies in cases that involve multiple countries and charges.
Law enforcement statements indicate the arrest followed months of investigation that included seizing items tied to the suspect. Additional information should emerge as legal proceedings move forward and as agencies release further statements or charging documents.
Why the arrest matters
The arrest closes a high-profile chapter in a case that drew attention because of the contrast between Wedding’s athletic past and the scale of the allegations. It also demonstrates continued cross-border cooperation on investigations into organised trafficking networks that move controlled substances across continents.
Investigators and prosecutors will now work through legal processes to clarify charges and determine next steps. For the public, the arrest resolves a long-standing manhunt; for authorities, it begins the next phase of a complex multinational case.
Torontoer will update this report as courts and law enforcement agencies release additional documents and statements.
Ryan WeddingFBISinaloa Carteldrug traffickingOlympics
