Former Olympic Snowboarder Ryan Wedding Arrested as Alleged Drug Kingpin

Fugitive athlete accused of leading massive cocaine empire and ordering multiple killings.

Ryan Wedding, once known for carving through snow on the Olympic stage, is now at the center of an international criminal case that reads more like a crime thriller than a sports biography.

The 44-year-old former Canadian Olympian was arrested in Mexico City on January 22, 2026, after reportedly spending years evading law enforcement. He was transferred to the United States a day later to face federal charges in California.

Authorities allege Wedding, who reportedly used the alias “El Jefe,” led a powerful transnational drug-trafficking organization responsible for moving more than 60 tons of cocaine into the United States and Canada each year. Prosecutors say the operation stretched across multiple countries and involved extensive coordination with criminal networks.

In addition to narcotics charges, Wedding is accused of orchestrating several violent crimes. Among the most serious allegations is his suspected role in the January 2025 assassination of a federal witness in Medellín, Colombia.

Wedding’s fall from grace is particularly striking given his past as a member of Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he competed in the parallel giant slalom event. Court proceedings in the United States are expected to draw significant international attention as the case unfolds.