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Ex-Canadian Olympian Ryan Wedding Captured in Mexico, Flown to U.S. to Face Major Drug and Murder-Conspiracy Charges

Authorities had placed him on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list with a reward raised to $15 million.

Overview

  • U.S. officials say the 44-year-old was arrested in Mexico and transferred by air to the United States to face federal prosecution.
  • Prosecutors allege he led a transnational cocaine pipeline from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California into U.S. and Canadian markets, with operations said to move about 60 metric tons a year and generate over $1 billion in profits.
  • He is accused of ordering multiple killings, including in Ontario and to silence a federal witness, and faces counts of drug trafficking, murder-conspiracy, witness tampering, retaliation, and money laundering.
  • FBI Director Kash Patel credited extraordinary cooperation with Mexican authorities, specifically thanking President Claudia Sheinbaum, Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch, and U.S. Ambassador Ron Johnson.
  • The case stems from an October 2024 indictment of 16 people and a November 2025 sweep that arrested 10 suspects, with reports indicating Wedding had sheltered under Sinaloa cartel protection and used numerous aliases to evade capture.