Ryan Wedding, Canadian Ex-Snowboarder Accused of Running Drug Ring, Is Arrested

Ryan Wedding, 44, who competed in the Winter Olympics in 2002, has been charged with murder and with smuggling cocaine into the United States.Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder, has been charged with smuggling cocaine into the United States and with murder.Credit...Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesJan. 23, 2026, 11:45 a.m. ETA former Olympic snowboarder from Canada accused of murder and running an international drug-trafficking ring has been arrested, the F.B.I. announced on Friday, ending a long search.Ryan Wedding, 44, who has been charged with smuggling cocaine into the United States, was arrested on Thursday in Mexico, the F.B.I.’s director, Kash Patel, said in a social media post. .The F.B.I. has said that Mr. Wedding ran a major drug trafficking organization and collaborated with the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, where the authorities said he had been hiding. Mr. Wedding had been on the F.B.I.’s list of its 10 most wanted fugitives.He was first indicted in October 2024 on cocaine trafficking charges. He was later charged with murder, including the killing of Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a Canadian who had been expected to testify against Mr. Wedding. The authorities said Mr. Wedding hired a hit man to kill Mr. Acebedo-Garcia in 2025 in Medellin, Colombia.Mr. Wedding’s arrest comes two weeks before the Winter Olympics begin in Italy. He competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, finishing 24th in parallel giant slalom snowboarding.This is a developing story. It will be updated.Vjosa Isai is a reporter for The Times based in Toronto, where she covers news from across Canada.SKIP