The international manhunt for one of the world’s most elusive and high-profile fugitives came to a dramatic end on Thursday night. U.S. and Mexican authorities confirmed today the arrest of Ryan James Wedding, a 44-year-old former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who transitioned from the slopes of Salt Lake City to the top of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
The Arrest in Mexico City
Federal officials, led by FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, announced that Wedding was apprehended in Mexico, where he is believed to have been hiding for over a decade under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel. The operation was a culmination of intense international cooperation between the FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Mexican security forces.
Video of FBI Director Kash Patel courtesy of DWS
Director Patel, who was in Mexico City for high-level meetings with Mexican Security Chief Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that Wedding was being transported back to the United States on Friday morning. “This is a huge day for a safer North America,” Patel stated. “It sends a message that those who break our laws and harm our citizens will be brought to justice, no matter how long it takes or where they hide.”
From Gold Aspirations to “El Jefe”
Wedding’s journey is one of the most startling downfalls in athletic history. In 2002, he represented Canada in the Winter Olympics, competing in the parallel giant slalom. However, by the late 2000s, his name began appearing in federal indictments rather than sports highlight reels.
By the time he was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025, Wedding—known by aliases such as “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy”—was allegedly overseeing a transnational criminal enterprise of staggering proportions. Prosecutors allege his organization moved nearly 60 metric tons of cocaine annually. The network utilized a sophisticated logistics chain, shipping drugs from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California into Canada and the Northeastern United States using a fleet of semi-trucks.
A Trail of Violence
While the scale of the drug trafficking was massive—estimated to generate over $1 billion in annual proceeds—it was the accompanying violence that prioritized Wedding for the FBI’s most elite “Wanted” list. Federal indictments charge Wedding with orchestrating multiple murders to protect his operation.
Among the most chilling allegations is the 2023 murder of a Canadian couple. Authorities say the victims were killed in a case of mistaken identity while Wedding’s hitmen were searching for a rival or a perceived informant. He is also accused of ordering the execution of a key federal witness.
“He wasn’t just a drug dealer; he was a violent kingpin who used fear and murder to maintain his grip on trafficking routes,” a law enforcement official familiar with the case noted during Friday’s briefing.
The Global Manhunt Ends
The reward for Wedding’s capture had reached a staggering $15 million, reflecting his status as a “priority objective.” His arrest follows the recent capture of another Top Ten fugitive, Alejandro Rosales Castillo, marking a period of high-intensity successes for the Bureau’s international field offices.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the “united front” shown by international partners. “At my direction, Department of Justice agents and the FBI have apprehended a violent cocaine kingpin who thought he was untouchable,” Bondi wrote in a statement. “The reach of the American justice system is long.”
What’s Next for Wedding?
Extradition proceedings are expected to move swiftly. Wedding faces a litany of federal charges, including:
- Leading a continuing criminal enterprise.
- Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Multiple counts of murder in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
If convicted on the top counts, the former Olympian faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. As Wedding is processed in the United States, investigators are continuing to dismantle the remnants of his organization, with several other high-ranking associates reportedly taken into custody alongside him or in related raids across North America.
With the capture of Ryan Wedding in Mexico, the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list continues to shift as high-priority targets are apprehended through international cooperation. Just days before Wedding’s arrest, another long-time fugitive, Alejandro Rosales Castillo, was also captured in Mexico (January 16, 2026), marking a significant run of success for the Bureau.
Below are the remaining fugitives currently on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list as of late January 2026:
Remaining FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
| Name | Year Added | Alleged Crimes | Reward |
| Bhadreshkumar C. Patel | 2017 | Wanted for allegedly stabbing and killing his wife at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Maryland. | $250,000+ |
| Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias | 2021 | Alleged leader of MS-13 in Honduras; charged with racketeering and cocaine importation. | $5,000,000 |
| Ruja Ignatova | 2022 | The “Cryptoqueen” behind the multi-billion dollar OneCoin fraud scheme. | $5,000,000 |
| Omar Alexander Cardenas | 2022 | Wanted for his alleged involvement in a 2019 murder outside a Los Angeles barbershop. | $250,000 |
| Wilver Villegas-Palomino | 2023 | High-ranking member of the ELN; wanted for narcoterrorism and international cocaine distribution. | $5,000,000 |
| Fausto Isidro Meza Flores | 2025 | Alleged leader of the Meza-Flores TCO; charged with massive drug manufacturing and distribution. | $5,000,000 |
| Giovanni V. Mosquera Serrano | 2025 | Senior leader of “Tren de Aragua”; charged with international cocaine distribution and terrorism. | $250,000 |
Note: Following the arrests of Alejandro Castillo (Jan 16) and Ryan Wedding (Jan 22), the FBI is expected to announce two new additions to the list in the coming weeks to return the total count to ten.
Sources & Links
- FBI Official Listing: FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
- Capture Announcement (Castillo): KJZZ – FBI 10 Most Wanted suspect captured in Mexico
- News Update (Wedding): FOX 5 Atlanta: Ryan Wedding arrested
- Historical Data: Wikipedia: FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives (Live Updates)
- FOX 5 Atlanta: Ryan Wedding, former Olympic snowboarder on FBI’s ‘Most Wanted’ list, arrested
- The Guardian: Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged cocaine kingpin in custody
- Associated Press via News4JAX: Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder on the FBI’s ‘Most Wanted’ list, has been arrested
- FBI.gov: Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List
- Times of India: Ryan Wedding arrested after shocking fall from Olympic snowboarder to FBI fugitive
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