Who is Ryan Wedding? FBI offers $15 million bounty for ex-Olympian wanted in murder, cocaine probe

The FBI and Canadian authorities have intensified their hunt for former Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding, unveiling a sweeping set of new charges that link the on-the-run athlete to an international cocaine network and the killing of a federal witness. A reward of up to $15 million has now been announced for information that leads to his capture, as officials describe Wedding as one of the world’s most dangerous fugitives.

Former Olympian turned fugitive

Wedding, who represented Canada in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, is accused of abandoning his sports career to become the alleged mastermind behind a sprawling multinational cocaine operation. Investigators say his organisation has, for years, transported vast quantities of cocaine from Colombia into Mexico, Southern California, Canada and multiple US cities.

Authorities say Wedding operated under numerous aliases, including El Jefe, Public Enemy, James Conrad King, Giant and Jesse King. The FBI has placed him on its Ten Most Wanted list, describing him as “a very dangerous man” who allegedly ran his empire through intimidation, violence and a network of accomplices across North and Central America.

Fresh charges tied to witness killing

The latest indictment, unsealed in California, links Wedding to the January execution of a federal witness in Medellín, Colombia – a killing prosecutors say was ordered to sabotage criminal proceedings against him. According to US Attorney Bill Essayli, the victim was tracked to a restaurant and shot five times in the head.

Officials allege that Wedding and his co-conspirators used a Canadian website to post the victim’s image online so he could be identified and targeted. The indictment states Wedding believed that eliminating the witness would lead to the dismissal of charges in a 2024 narcotics case.

“Wedding placed the bounty on the victim’s head, and the erroneous belief that the victim’s death would result in the dismissal of criminal charges against him … He was wrong,” Essayli said.

A total of 12 people were arrested in connection with the case during what authorities described as an international coordinated operation. Among them was Canadian lawyer Deepak Balwant Paradkar, accused of advising Wedding that killing the witness would help derail the prosecution. Paradkar was detained in Canada and is expected to be extradited to the US.

Inside the alleged drug empire

The US government has previously charged Wedding, now 44, with managing a “continuing criminal enterprise” that allegedly moved as much as 60 tonnes of cocaine annually using long-haul trucks operating across Colombia, Mexico and North America.

His network, authorities say, relied on sophisticated financial channels, including cryptocurrency, to launder profits. The Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting Wedding’s inner circle, including his wife, Miryam Andrea Castillo Moreno, whom officials described as a central financial operative who funnelled drug money into luxury cars, motorcycles and other high-value assets.

The Treasury said Castillo Moreno provided “material support” that enabled both the trafficking organisation and associated acts of violence. All of her US-based assets are now blocked.

“Our goal is simple: make it difficult for criminals like this to profit from poisoning our communities,” the department said.

Other sanctioned associates include Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarado, known as “the General,” who is believed to coordinate protection for Wedding in Mexico, and Carmen Yelinet Valoyes Florez, accused of running a high-end prostitution ring and assisting in the witness murder. Several additional associates – including Daniela Alejandra Acuna Macias, Rolan Sokolovski and Gianluca Tiepolo – are also under investigation.

What the FBI says

The FBI has accused Wedding of orchestrating multiple killings connected to his drug network. According to ABC News, FBI Director Kash Patel compared him to notorious cartel leaders, calling Wedding “a modern-day version of Pablo Escobar and El Chapo.”

Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, added: “Wedding went from shredding powder at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets.”

Pam Bondi, the US Attorney General, issued a blunt warning: “Whether you are a street-level drug dealer ... or an international drug kingpin, we are coming for you. We will find you and you will be accountable and held to justice for your crimes.”

Where authorities believe he is now

Although Wedding’s exact location remains unknown, investigators suspect he is hiding in Mexico, possibly under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel – now designated a terrorist organisation by both the US and Canada. However, officials caution he may also be moving between countries including Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Canada or even the US.

His deputy, Canadian national Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico last year and extradited to the US earlier this year, raising hopes among investigators that the net may be tightening.

Massive reward as global hunt intensifies

On Wednesday, the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the unprecedented $15 million reward. Additional rewards of up to $2 million each have been offered for information on others involved in the witness killing.

Top officials say they are working with multiple governments to bring down what they describe as an extraordinarily dangerous transnational criminal enterprise.

“Make no mistake, Ryan Wedding is extremely dangerous,” Davis said. “He’s extremely violent, and he’s extremely wealthy. … We will find him, and we will bring him to justice.”

(With inputs from AP)