Story perspectives

Fugitive Ex-Olympian Ryan Wedding Linked to Drug Trafficking

11/22/2025

Summary

Story summary

Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, is a fugitive wanted for operating a drug trafficking organization and ordering the murder of a federal witness.
The FBI has increased the reward for his capture to $15 million.
Wedding is linked to the Sinaloa cartel, accused of orchestrating a Medellín witness murder, authorities believe he is hiding in Mexico, and U.S. Department of Justice has indicted him and arrested several associates.

History

Historical Context

The Medellín Cartel, led by Pablo Escobar, dominated the cocaine trade in the U.S. during the 1980s, responsible for thousands of violent acts, including the assassination of key officials. Following its decline in the early 1990s, the Sinaloa Cartel emerged, adopting similar brutal tactics. Today, the ongoing violence and intimidation tactics reflect the persistent challenges in combating drug trafficking organizations, underscored by a $15 million reward for Ryan Wedding's capture.

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Story summary

Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, is a fugitive wanted for operating a drug trafficking organization and ordering the murder of a federal witness.
The FBI has increased the reward for his capture to $15 million.
Wedding is linked to the Sinaloa cartel, accused of orchestrating a Medellín witness murder, authorities believe he is hiding in Mexico, and U.S. Department of Justice has indicted him and arrested several associates.

1 / 2