Federal authorities released a new photo of Ryan Wedding, the former Olympic snowboarder who allegedly runs a violent drug-trafficking organization.
The FBI’s Los Angeles field office said in a post on X that the image is believed to have been taken in Mexico over the summer.
Wedding is wanted by the FBI for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking organization responsible for importing about 60 metric tons of cocaine a year into Los Angeles via semitrucks from Mexico, Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a news conference last month.
The State Department is offering a $15 million reward for information that leads to his arrest and/or conviction. Wedding is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Canada’s Ryan Wedding competes in a snowboarding event at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.Tony Marshall – EMPICS / PA Images via Getty Images
“He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in this world,” Bondi said. “He is currently the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada.”
Wedding was charged in a September 2024 superseding indictment with attempted murder and other counts. In November, a grand jury indictment was unsealed charging him in the death of a federal witness who was supposed to testify against him.
Authorities said Wedding “placed a bounty” on the witness’ head “in the erroneous belief that the victim’s death would result in the dismissal of criminal charges against him and his international drug trafficking ring.”
He is alleged to have used a Canadian website to post images of the witness and his wife to locate him, law enforcement said.
The witness was fatally shot at a restaurant before he could testify.
Wedding, who represented Canada in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002, is believed to be hiding in Mexico. Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said he is most likely being protected by the cartel and others in Mexico.
