By Micah Jonah
January 24, 2026
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, accusing him of running a massive international drug trafficking network linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
The FBI confirmed that Wedding, 44, was arrested in Mexico City and has been transferred to the United States to face charges of large scale cocaine trafficking and multiple counts of murder connected to cartel operations.
FBI Director, Kash Patel described Wedding as a major criminal figure in the drug trade, saying he operated at the level of notorious cartel leaders and was responsible for moving huge quantities of narcotics into North America over several years.
Authorities said Wedding had lived in Mexico for more than a decade, under the protection of criminal networks, while coordinating drug shipments and violent enforcement operations. The FBI had previously placed a reward of 15 million dollars on information leading to his arrest.
Investigators said the drug operation allegedly controlled by Wedding generated over one billion dollars annually from cocaine distribution across the United States and Canada, making it one of the most lucrative trafficking networks uncovered in recent years.
According to the FBI, at least 36 people connected to the network have been arrested, while assets worth tens of millions of dollars have been seized, including luxury vehicles, high value artwork and expensive jewellery believed to have been purchased with proceeds from drug sales.
Wedding is also accused of ordering killings of individuals he believed were cooperating with law enforcement or stealing drugs from his organization. Prosecutors said he placed a bounty on a witness scheduled to testify against him, leading to the killing of that individual.
In another case, authorities said an attempt to target a suspected drug thief resulted in the deaths of an innocent married couple in Canada, in what investigators described as a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Wedding represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, where he competed in the men’s parallel giant slalom event before later disappearing from the public sporting scene.
He is expected to make his first court appearance in the United States in the coming days as prosecutors prepare to pursue full charges related to drug trafficking, organized crime and homicide.
The arrest comes amid increased cooperation between Mexican and United States authorities, with Mexico accelerating the extradition of suspected cartel figures as Washington intensifies pressure on regional drug networks.
United States officials say the case reflects a broader crackdown on transnational crime and signals that individuals involved in large scale narcotics operations will be pursued regardless of their past public status or international location.
