The FBI states that a Canadian individual linked to a major global criminal inquiry remains at large, partially shielded by the influential Sinaloa drug cartel and other criminal factions in Mexico. Ryan Wedding has been a fugitive since 2015, wanted for various drug-related offenses, as well as murder. As a result, the U.S. State Department has raised the reward for Wedding’s capture to $15 million US from $10 million US.
Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympian, gained recognition during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Starting as a skier, Wedding transitioned to snowboarding in his youth after relocating from Ontario to British Columbia. He represented Canada in snowboarding at the Olympics but did not win a medal. Following his Olympic participation, Wedding’s snowboarding career ended, and he was arrested in 2008 in California for attempting to purchase cocaine. During this time, the FBI suspected his involvement with a drug lord in British Columbia. After spending three years in U.S. prisons, Wedding faced charges by the RCMP in Montreal in April 2015 for his involvement in a large-scale cocaine trafficking ring. However, he managed to escape to Mexico and has been on the run since.
Authorities believe that Ryan Wedding, now 44 years old, is residing in Mexico, allegedly overseeing a significant drug trafficking syndicate under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel. Despite this belief, the possibility exists that Wedding may have evaded detection and left Mexico for other countries such as the U.S., Canada, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, or Costa Rica.
Wedding has successfully eluded capture numerous times over the past decade according to the FBI. Protected by the Sinaloa cartel and other entities in Mexico, Wedding has evaded arrest by using a network of associates to stay informed about impending law enforcement actions and likely relocating across different countries. While local Mexican officials have been accused of aiding Wedding’s evasion, recent reports indicate that Mexican federal agents are now actively involved in locating him. Wedding, known by several aliases including “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” and “El Jefe,” has been compared to infamous drug lords like Pablo Escobar and El Chapo Guzman by FBI Director Kash Patel.
The FBI alleges that Wedding is responsible for numerous murders globally, including in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Notably, he orchestrated the killing of a U.S. federal witness in Colombia, where he used a Canadian website to locate and target the individual. Wedding’s level of coordination in planning and executing murders has earned him the title of one of the world’s most dangerous fugitives. He has been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list since March 2025.
Recent developments include the arrest of ten individuals connected to Wedding’s current indictment, including seven Canadians apprehended by Canadian law enforcement agencies. Among those arrested was Wedding’s lawyer, Deepak Paradkar, who allegedly advised Wedding to eliminate a witness in Colombia. The U.S. government remains committed to apprehending Wedding, emphasizing that no individual, even a former Olympian, is exempt from the law.