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Former Olympian Ryan Wedding Pleads Not Guilty After Mexico Arrest and U.S. Extradition

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Former Olympian Ryan Wedding Faces U.S. Federal Trial Ryan Wedding, a Canadian snowboarder who competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025 with a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture [1][2]. Prosecutors allege he headed a transnational cocaine enterprise that moved roughly 60 tons of the drug annually through Colombia, Mexico, Canada and Southern California [1][2]. The indictment, filed in 2024, charges him with criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and multiple murders [1][2].

Prosecutors Accuse Him of Billion‑Dollar Cocaine Empire Federal investigators describe the operation as the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada in 2024, generating about $1 billion in revenue and operating under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel [1][4][5]. The network allegedly used boats, planes and semitrucks to transport the narcotics across borders [2][3]. Authorities seized extensive assets, including firearms, luxury vehicles, artwork, jewelry and $40 million worth of motorcycles linked to Wedding [5][7].

Indictments Detail Multiple Murders Tied to Drug Operations The superseding indictment lists the 2023 killings of two Canadian nationals over a stolen shipment, a 2024 drug‑debt murder, and the 2022 assassination of a federal witness in Colombia [1][4][7]. Wedding is also accused of ordering additional killings to protect the cartel partnership [1][2]. He previously served a four‑year sentence after a 2009 conviction for cocaine conspiracy, released in 2011, before allegedly expanding the enterprise [1][6].

Arrest in Mexico Followed by Disputed Surrender Narrative Mexican authorities detained Wedding on Jan 22 2026 and transferred him to the United States after he reportedly presented himself at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City [3][5][6]. Mexican officials claim he voluntarily surrendered, while his lawyer Anthony Colombo insists he was simply residing in Mexico and was arrested, not surrendered [1][2]. The operation involved coordinated efforts from U.S., Mexican, Canadian, Colombian and Dominican agencies, resulting in 36 related arrests [5][6].

Court Appearance Results in Not‑Guilty Plea and Continued Detention On Jan 27 2026, Wedding entered a not‑guilty plea during his first U.S. hearing in Santa Ana, California, wearing a tan jumpsuit with chained ankles [1][2]. Magistrate John D. Early ordered him held in custody, citing public‑safety concerns, and set a bond hearing for a later date [1][2]. Future court dates include a status conference on Feb 11 and a trial scheduled for March 24 2026 [1][2].

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Timeline

2002 – Ryan Wedding competes for Canada in the parallel giant slalom at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, finishing 24th, his sole Olympic appearance before retiring from sport. [4]

Nov 2009 – A federal jury convicts Wedding of conspiring to possess cocaine with intent to distribute; he receives a four‑year prison sentence. [4]

Dec 2011 – Wedding is released from prison, after which prosecutors allege he launches a transnational cocaine‑trafficking enterprise that later becomes Canada’s largest supplier. [4][3]

2011 onward – Wedding allegedly builds a network that moves cocaine from Colombia through Mexico into the United States and Canada, laying the groundwork for a billion‑dollar operation. [3]

Nov 2023 – Prosecutors allege Wedding orders the murders of two Canadians in Ontario over a stolen shipment, marking the first known killings linked to his organization. [3][8]

May 2024 – Wedding is accused of ordering a drug‑debt killing in Mexico, expanding the violent scope of his enterprise. [3]

Oct 2024 – A superseding indictment charges Wedding with running a criminal enterprise, trafficking up to 60 tons of cocaine, and ordering multiple murders across four countries. [3]

Mar 2025 – The FBI places Wedding on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and raises the reward for information to $15 million, signaling heightened international priority. [4][7]

Dec 6, 2025 – A new indictment reaffirms the charges, reinforces the $15 million reward, and details the alleged billion‑dollar drug empire. [3]

Dec 9, 2025 – The FBI releases a fresh photograph of Wedding taken in Mexico, showing him shirtless with a lion tattoo, and reiterates the $15 million reward. [8]

Jan 22, 2026 – Mexican authorities arrest Wedding in Mexico City during a night‑time operation, capturing him alongside another Ten Most Wanted fugitive. [3][1]

Jan 23, 2026 – Wedding voluntarily surrenders at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, is flown to Ontario International Airport in California, and is taken into FBI custody. [7]

Jan 23, 2026 – FBI Director Kash Patel calls Wedding “the modern‑day El Chapo” and praises the joint U.S., Mexican, Canadian, Colombian and Dominican effort that netted 36 related arrests and extensive asset seizures; Canadian public‑safety minister Gary Anandasangaree calls the arrest “a significant step forward” in the fight against illegal drugs. [7][1]

Jan 26, 2026 – In Santa Ana federal court, Wedding pleads not guilty to charges of criminal enterprise, murder and drug trafficking, and remains in custody with chained ankles. [2][6]

Feb 11, 2026 – A follow‑up hearing is scheduled to address bond and other pre‑trial matters. [2]

Mar 24, 2026 – Wedding’s trial is slated to begin, where prosecutors will seek to prove his role in the billion‑dollar cocaine network and the murders tied to it. [2]

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