Former snowboarder arrested as drug trafficking boss
Once viewed with great hope in Canadian sports history, but later choosing a completely different path, the individual has again come into public attention. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
Former snowboarder Ryan James Wedding was arrested in Mexico on January 22. This was announced by the Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kesh Patel.
According to US officials, 44-year-old Wedding was connected with the "Sinaloa" cartel and had been hiding in Mexico for the past ten years. According to investigation data, he managed a large drug trafficking network that transported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California into the US and Canada.
Kesh Patel compared Wedding to famous drug lords like Pablo Escobar and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. According to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Wedding was extradited to the US and will face trial there.
Wedding was added to the FBI's "Top Ten Most Wanted" list in March 2025. An initial reward of 15 million dollars was announced for information leading to his whereabouts, which was later increased, according to the FBI.
According to court documents, Wedding's criminal activities began in 2008. In 2009, he was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and sentenced to federal prison.
After his release in 2011, he is said to have started building an "empire" related to drug trafficking. In recent months, valuable properties believed to belong to Wedding have been seized in Mexico.
Official data indicates that among these properties are motorcycles valued at 40 million dollars, Olympic medals, and other valuable items. This incident shows how a person who left sports became involved with a criminal group and eventually managed a network that poses a threat to international security.
The main question now is — how will the court proceedings in the US unfold and to what extent will the charges be proven? This will be determined by official investigations and court decisions.
