ONTARIO, Calif.
Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who became one of the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives, was arrested in Mexico and flown to California to face charges that he orchestrated a massive international cocaine network linked to multiple killings.
Wedding, 44, turned himself in Thursday at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City after a multinational manhunt spanning more than a year.
Investigators allege he moved approximately 60 tons of cocaine annually from Latin America into the United States under the protection of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
FBI Director Kash Patel likened Wedding to a “modern-day El Chapo,” referencing the notorious cartel kingpin Joaquín Guzmán.
Authorities said Wedding used aliases including “El Jefe” and “Public Enemy” while overseeing a sophisticated trafficking operation spanning Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and Southern California.
His arrest marks a dramatic fall for an athlete who once competed on the world stage, now facing the prospect of life in a U.S. prison on drug and conspiracy charges.
By James Kisoo
