Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding has been arrested in Mexico and will be extradited to the US after years on the run, FBI Director Kash Patel has said.
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.
Wedding, 44, was also wanted on murder charges. US officials had said they believed Wedding was living in Mexico under the Sinaloa drug cartel's protection.
The head of Canada's federal police force, which assisted in the investigation, praised the law enforcement operation, stating, No single agency or nation can combat transnational organised crime alone. Mike Duheme, Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, added, We can finally say that our communities, our countries, are much safer with the arrest of Ryan Wedding. Wedding is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.
Wedding is accused of running a vast drug trafficking operation responsible for importing some 60 metric tonnes of cocaine a year, and he is believed to be the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada, generating an estimated $1 billion annually. Authorities allege he has ordered numerous murders across various countries, including the destruction of a federal witness in a case against him.
Patel described Wedding as a modern-day Pablo Escobar, highlighting the extensive international collaboration involved in his capture. Wedding's aliases reveal his notorious reputation, and he reportedly underwent plastic surgery while evading authorities.
In Mexico, Wedding lived luxuriously, owning expensive motorcycles and rare cars. Prior to his capture, significant assets associated with him, including valuable artworks and Olympic medals, were seized by authorities. The case underscores urgent issues surrounding drug trafficking and organized crime across borders.
