Ryan James Wedding: From Olympic Snowboarder to One of America’s Most Wanted

Ryan James Wedding once represented Canada on the world stage, competing as an Olympic snowboarder at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Today, U.S. authorities describe him very differently: a fugitive drug trafficker, accused killer, and a high-level criminal operator aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Wedding is now listed among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, with the United States offering up to $15 million for information leading to his capture. According to U.S. officials, he is believed to be living and operating from Mexico, where he allegedly coordinates cocaine trafficking routes and oversees violent enforcement actions tied to his organization.

On December 8, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico released a video tutorial explaining how the public can directly report information on Wedding to the FBI. The move signals a clear escalation. This is not a routine notice—it’s an open call for tips, aimed squarely at people who may have crossed paths with Wedding or his network.

U.S. authorities allege that Wedding runs a transnational criminal organization responsible for moving large quantities of cocaine from California into Canada, using an Ontario-based distribution network. Prosecutors say his role went far beyond logistics. Between 2023 and 2025, Wedding is accused of orchestrating or ordering multiple murders, including two killings in Ontario, one in Niagara Falls, and the murder of a federal witness in Colombia. For information related to that Colombian case alone, the U.S. government is offering up to $2 million.

On November 19, 2025, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs formally increased the reward for Wedding under the Narcotics Rewards Program, citing the scale of his trafficking operation and the level of violence tied to his group. That same day, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Wedding, several of his associates, and related entities, freezing assets and further tightening financial pressure.

U.S. officials have repeatedly stated that Wedding operates in alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world. While authorities have not publicly detailed which faction he is closest to, the allegation places Wedding inside the cartel’s international cocaine pipeline rather than on its periphery.

The embassy’s tutorial outlines how anyone with information can contact U.S. authorities directly by calling 55-25-79-20-00, pressing zero, and stating they have information about Ryan James Wedding and wish to speak with the FBI. Officials emphasize that even seemingly minor details could help locate him.

Behind the scenes, the push reflects a coordinated effort involving the FBI, U.S. federal prosecutors, and the governments of Canada and Mexico. The strategy combines public tip campaigns, financial sanctions, and international law enforcement cooperation—an approach typically reserved for fugitives considered both dangerous and highly mobile.

Wedding’s transformation—from Olympic athlete to alleged cartel-linked trafficker—stands as one of the more striking arcs in modern organized crime. Once celebrated for athletic discipline and precision, he is now accused of applying those same traits to a criminal enterprise built on cocaine, money laundering, and violence.

U.S. authorities believe he is still out there. And they are making it clear: they want help bringing him in.