FBI arrests ex-Canadian snowboard Olympian turned alleged drug lord

Prosecutors allege Ryan Wedding, who was arrested in Mexico, behind multibillion-dollar drug trafficking scheme.Published On 23 Jan 2026The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who allegedly became a drug kingpin in Mexico.The agency announced on Friday that 44-year-old Ryan Wedding had been picked up in Mexico City and brought to the US on charges of cocaine trafficking and murder.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3It’s not the oil. It’s Floridalist 2 of 3Petro says Colombia cooperating with US ‘despite insults, threats’list 3 of 3Venezuela: In the Shadow of the USend of list“He is a modern-day El Chapo. He is a modern-day Pablo Escobar,” FBI head Kash Patel said during a news conference, referencing Mexican cartel leader Joaquin Guzman and Colombian cartel leader Escobar, respectively.Patel added that Wedding had alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, under whose protection he was believed to be living in Mexico. He had been hiding in the country for more than a decade, with the FBI offering a $15m reward leading to his arrest.All told, Wedding controlled ​an operation responsible for generating more than $1bn a year in illegal drug proceeds, according to the FBI.“This individual and his organisation in the Sinaloa Cartel poured narcotics into the streets of North America and killed too many of our youth and corrupted too many of our citizens,” he said, without providing further details on how Wedding was captured.Akil Davis, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, told reporters that Wedding – whose aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant” and “Public Enemy” – was expected to have an initial US court appearance on Monday.Davis said 36 people connected to Wedding’s alleged drug trafficking ring have been arrested, and assets worth tens of millions of dollars have been seized, including luxury vehicles, valuable artwork and jewellery.Beyond the trafficking charges, authorities also accused Wedding, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics in parallel giant slalom, of hiring assassins to target individuals he perceived as rivals or law enforcement “coordinators”.