The investigation lasted two years. Former Canadian Olympic athlete Ryan Wedding, accused by American justice of drug trafficking and having ordered assassinations, has been arrested, several American media reported on Friday.
Citing police sources, NBC does not provide details on the circumstances or location of the arrest. Ryan Wedding, 44, was believed to be in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel.
In November, the $10 million reward for the arrest of “modern-day Pablo Escobar,” as the FBI director recently called him, was increased to $15 million. The criminal was even placed in March on the list of ten most wanted fugitives by the American Federal Police, the main intelligence and investigation service of the United States government.
Suspected of being at the head of major trafficking
Ten people were arrested, including seven in Canada, in November 2025 as part of the American investigation targeting the former Canadian Olympic athlete. The athlete had participated in snowboarding competitions during the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City (United States) in 2002.
In October 2024, American judicial authorities made public the indictment of 16 people, including Ryan Wedding, for alleged involvement in a network transporting cocaine from Colombia, via Mexico and southern California, to other parts of the United States and Canada. To date, police suspect him of being the largest importer of cocaine destined for the Canadian market.
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