Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding has been arrested in Mexico and will be extradited to the US after years on the run, FBI Director Kash Patel has said. Wedding, who had been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, is accused of running a transnational drug trafficking operation that moved tonnes of cocaine across international borders.
Wedding, 44, was also wanted on murder charges. US officials had said they believed Wedding was living in Mexico under the Sinaloa drug cartel's protection. The head of Canada's federal police force, which assisted in the investigation, praised the law enforcement operation.
No single agency or nation can combat transnational organized crime alone, said Mike Duheme, Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). We can finally say that our communities, our countries, are much safer with the arrest of Ryan Wedding, he added. Wedding is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.
Wedding is accused of running a vast drug trafficking operation responsible for importing some 60 metric tonnes of cocaine a year. His organization operated across North America as well as several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and was also the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada, bringing in an estimated $1bn a year.
Before he was arrested, Wedding was accused of killing a federal witness in a case against him. Officials say he has also ordered the murders of several others. Wedding is now facing a slew of felony charges, including witness tampering and intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking. The FBI had previously placed a $15m (£11m) reward for information leading to his arrest.
US officials have not released any information regarding how Wedding was captured, except to say that his arrest took place on Thursday night in Mexico City. Mexico's top security official, Omar García Harfuch, mentioned in a post on X that Patel had visited Mexico City and departed with two fugitives on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. Although Wedding has reportedly turned himself in at the US embassy, details on that remain unclear.
In his remarks at a news conference, Patel described Wedding as a modern-day Pablo Escobar, with comparisons drawn to Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán. Officials allege that he launched his criminal enterprise following his release from a US federal prison in 2011, where he had served time for cocaine distribution.
Authorities allege he has ordered dozens of murders across the globe, including in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Wedding had reportedly been living in luxury in Mexico, where authorities seized $40m in racing motorcycles and valuable items, including luxury paintings and drugs. Despite competing at the 2002 Olympic Games, Wedding did not win any medals.
Patel also spoke about the arrest of another man in Mexico wanted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat crime.
Wedding, 44, was also wanted on murder charges. US officials had said they believed Wedding was living in Mexico under the Sinaloa drug cartel's protection. The head of Canada's federal police force, which assisted in the investigation, praised the law enforcement operation.
No single agency or nation can combat transnational organized crime alone, said Mike Duheme, Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). We can finally say that our communities, our countries, are much safer with the arrest of Ryan Wedding, he added. Wedding is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.
Wedding is accused of running a vast drug trafficking operation responsible for importing some 60 metric tonnes of cocaine a year. His organization operated across North America as well as several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and was also the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada, bringing in an estimated $1bn a year.
Before he was arrested, Wedding was accused of killing a federal witness in a case against him. Officials say he has also ordered the murders of several others. Wedding is now facing a slew of felony charges, including witness tampering and intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking. The FBI had previously placed a $15m (£11m) reward for information leading to his arrest.
US officials have not released any information regarding how Wedding was captured, except to say that his arrest took place on Thursday night in Mexico City. Mexico's top security official, Omar García Harfuch, mentioned in a post on X that Patel had visited Mexico City and departed with two fugitives on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. Although Wedding has reportedly turned himself in at the US embassy, details on that remain unclear.
In his remarks at a news conference, Patel described Wedding as a modern-day Pablo Escobar, with comparisons drawn to Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán. Officials allege that he launched his criminal enterprise following his release from a US federal prison in 2011, where he had served time for cocaine distribution.
Authorities allege he has ordered dozens of murders across the globe, including in the US, Canada, and Latin America. Wedding had reportedly been living in luxury in Mexico, where authorities seized $40m in racing motorcycles and valuable items, including luxury paintings and drugs. Despite competing at the 2002 Olympic Games, Wedding did not win any medals.
Patel also spoke about the arrest of another man in Mexico wanted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat crime.
