Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list for his alleged role in a major drug trafficking network. The 43-year-old Canadian is accused of orchestrating a transnational operation that shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada and other U.S. locations. Wedding is also wanted for allegedly ordering multiple murders and an attempted murder to support these drug activities.
The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Wedding’s arrest or conviction. Investigators suspect he may be hiding in Mexico, but they have not ruled out his presence in the U.S., Canada, or other countries in Latin America.
Wedding, who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, is known by several aliases, including “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King,” and “Jesse King.” In June 2024, he and his accomplice Andrew Clark were charged in California with running a criminal enterprise, committing murder related to the enterprise, and various drug offenses. Clark was arrested in Mexico last October and extradited to the U.S. last week.
The FBI alleges that Wedding and Clark directed the murders of two family members in Ontario, Canada, on November 20, 2023, as retaliation for a stolen drug shipment. Another family member survived but sustained serious injuries. They are also accused of ordering another murder on May 18, 2024, over a drug debt.
FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis emphasized the danger posed by Wedding, stating, “The alleged murders of his competitors make Wedding a very dangerous man.” The FBI hopes the reward and his addition to the Most Wanted list will aid in his capture.
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