Ryan Wedding, a Canadian figure at the core of a major global criminal inquiry, remains at large with alleged shelter from the influential Sinaloa drug cartel and other criminal factions in Mexico, according to the FBI. Wedding has been on the lam since 2015, facing charges related to drug offenses, conspiracy, and instigating murder. As a consequence, the U.S. State Department has boosted the reward for his capture to $15 million US from $10 million US.
Initially recognized during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, Canadians may recall Ryan Wedding as a former Olympian. Starting as a skier and transitioning to snowboarding in his early teens upon his family’s relocation from Ontario to British Columbia, Wedding competed in snowboarding at the Olympics but did not secure a medal. Following his Olympic stint, Wedding’s snowboarding career concluded, and in 2008, he was arrested in California for attempting to purchase cocaine, allegedly under the employ of a British Columbia drug kingpin.
Subsequently, Wedding faced charges by the RCMP in Montreal in April 2015 for involvement in a substantial cocaine trafficking scheme, after which he fled to Mexico and has eluded capture ever since. According to U.S. authorities, Wedding, now 44, is suspected to be residing in Mexico, overseeing a vast drug trafficking network, shielded by the potent Sinaloa cartel. While speculations remain on his potential whereabouts, authorities have not discounted the possibility of Wedding’s presence in other countries like the U.S., Canada, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, or Costa Rica.
The FBI asserts that Wedding has skillfully evaded arrest over the past decade, purportedly safeguarded by the Sinaloa cartel and other Mexican entities. This protection, coupled with a network of global associates linked to the cartel’s operations, equipped with sophisticated weaponry and known for extreme violence, has facilitated Wedding’s evasion. Utilizing intimidation tactics and likely receiving insider information on impending arrests, Wedding has managed to shift locations globally over the years, impeding law enforcement efforts to apprehend him.
Despite allegations of local Mexican officials aiding Wedding’s evasion, recent reports indicate Mexican federal agents are now collaborating to locate him. Described by the RCMP as assuming multiple aliases such as “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” and “El Jefe,” Wedding is portrayed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as the principal cocaine distributor in Canada, leading one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations globally. His operation reportedly imports approximately 60 metric tonnes of cocaine annually into Los Angeles, along with trafficking other illicit substances such as fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Wedding’s criminal pursuits have extended to orchestrating numerous murders worldwide, including the targeted assassination of a U.S. federal witness in Colombia this year. His organization’s ruthless planning and execution of criminal activities have earned him the designation of one of the world’s most dangerous fugitives, landing him on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list since March 2025. Recent arrests linked to Wedding’s indictment, including his lawyer advising him on the witness’s murder, underscore the ongoing efforts to bring Wedding and his associates to justice.
The U.S. government’s commitment to apprehending Wedding emphasizes that no individual, irrespective of their background, is exempt from accountability under the law.