Former Canadian Olympian Arrested by US Authorities: FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List
Former Snowboarder Ryan wedding Arrested, Accused of Leading Drug Operation adn Murders
Ryan Wedding, 43, a former snowboarder, has been arrested in Mexico and brought to the United States to face charges related to a large-scale cocaine trafficking operation and multiple murders, according to The Guardian. Authorities allege Wedding’s organization attempted to smuggle 60 tons of cocaine annually from mexico into Los Angeles using tractor-trailers.He is also accused of ordering the deaths of key FBI witnesses, as well as a couple mistakenly identified as targets.
Wedding was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in March of last year, with a reward of $15 million (approximately 308.5 million Czech crowns) offered for information leading to his capture. He was known by aliases including “Public Enemy,” “El Jefe,” and “The Giant.”
Years-Long Pursuit and international cooperation
U.S. officials had long believed Wedding was hiding in Mexico, protected by the Sinaloa cartel. FBI Director Kash patel traveled to Mexico City on Thursday to meet with Mexican Secretary of Security and citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch, returning with Wedding and another unnamed fugitive.
García Harfuch announced on Friday that Patel departed with “an American detainee wanted by the FBI, who is on the Ten Most Wanted list, and a Canadian detainee who voluntarily surrendered yesterday at the American embassy.” Patel compared Wedding to infamous drug lords like Pablo Escobar and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
From Olympic Athlete to Alleged Criminal
Wedding competed as a skier, winning a bronze medal at the 1999 Junior World Championships in parallel giant slalom at the age of 17. He improved upon that result, earning a silver medal two years later.In 2002, he represented Canada in snowboarding at the Salt lake City Olympics, finishing 24th out of 32 competitors in the parallel giant slalom. He retired from competitive sports after the games.