Canadian Olympic snowboarder-turned-alleged international drug kingpin, Ryan Wedding, has been arrested after more than a year on the run.
Wedding, wanted by the U.S. government, is in custody. He was arrested in Mexico late Thursday night, FBI director Kash Patel said.
He will be transported to the U.S. to face justice, he added.
“This is a huge day for a safer North America, and the world, and a message that those who break our laws and harm our citizens will be brought to justice,” Patel wrote on X.
Wedding is accused of ordering multiple murders, including the killing of a witness who was set to testify against him, as well as operating a criminal enterprise, where he allegedly shipped more than 130K lbs of cocaine a year.
Wedding was charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to export cocaine, continuing criminal enterprise, and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime.
The former star athlete was such a high priority for the FBI, he was added to their 10 Most Wanted List last March, and there was a $15 million bounty for his arrest.
The FBI said Wedding, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds, went by a handful of aliases, including “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” and “James Conrad King.”
One of Wedding’s top alleged cohorts, Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico in 2024 and was handed over to the U.S. last year.
Wedding competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics … finishing 24th in the men’s parallel giant slalom.
FOX 13 Seattle
A news conference was held on Friday … and Patel said Wedding’s first court appearance is expected early next week.