Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug trafficker, has finally been apprehended after spending over a decade on the run. The FBI announced the arrest of Wedding, who was on their most wanted list, on Friday.
Wedding was captured in Mexico, where he had been evading charges related to his alleged involvement in a violent drug empire that spanned across multiple countries. FBI Director Kash Patel described Wedding as a modern-day El Chapo and Pablo Escobar, highlighting the severity of his criminal activities.
The former Olympic athlete was wanted for running a transnational drug trafficking operation, responsible for transporting large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to the US and Canada. Additionally, Wedding was implicated in several murders, earning him aliases such as “El Jefe” and “Giant.”
Authorities revealed that Wedding had smuggled an astonishing 60 metric tons of cocaine into the US through Mexico and southern California. He was also charged with ordering the killing of a federal witness scheduled to testify against him, further adding to his long list of criminal offenses.
Wedding, a Canadian citizen who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, had been living in Mexico and collaborating closely with the Sinaloa Cartel. His alleged second-in-command, Andrew Clark, was also apprehended in Mexico and extradited to face charges in the US.
The FBI’s successful operation to capture Wedding marks the sixth top-ten most wanted fugitive captured under the Trump administration. The agency had offered a reward of $15 million for information leading to Wedding’s arrest, the highest bounty for any suspect on their most wanted list.
Despite Wedding’s attempts to evade justice, law enforcement agencies from the US, Mexico, and Canada worked together to ensure his capture. Wedding’s criminal activities, which resulted in the deaths of numerous individuals, have finally come to an end with his arrest.
The case, named “Operation Giant Slalom” after the race Wedding competed in at the Salt Lake City Olympics, has led to the apprehension of 36 individuals connected to Wedding’s drug empire. Authorities are still pursuing other individuals linked to the criminal organization.
Wedding’s journey from Olympic glory to a life of crime serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the consequences of getting involved in illegal activities. His arrest sends a strong message that even the most elusive criminals will eventually face justice for their actions.
