Former Olympic snowboarder arrested for allegedly being cocaine cartel kingpin

The FBI announced the arrest of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding on on an array of criminal charges on Friday including conspiracy to export cocaine, and murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise.

Wedding competed in the 2022 games in Salt Lake City as part of Canada’s snowboard slalom team. He retired from competition after the games, and it’s here his criminal life began. Investigated for growing 6,800 marijuana plants in 2006, in 2010 Wedding was convicted to four years of prison for attempting to buy cocaine from an undercover agent in the United States.

Upon his release Wedding allegedly became involved with the Sinaloa drug cartel, eventually becoming a high-ranking member for the criminal organization where he was called “El Jefe.” In this role the justice department alleges that Wedding oversaw the trafficking of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico, into the United States and Canada. In 2024 he was indicted on the drug charges, and also for allegedly ordering the murder of two people, as well as the attempted murder of a third — in addition, Wedding has been accused of ordering the murder of a federal law enforcement informant in Colombia.

Wedding was apprehended in Mexico, with FBI director Kash Patel comparing Wedding to the arrest of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, former head of the Sinaloa cartel who is now in prison at ADX Florence, the most secure prison in the nation.

Its unclear what led agents to finally catching Wedding after a manhunt lasting almost two years with a $15M reward for information on his whereabouts. However, a significant blow has been done to one of the largest drug cartels in the world. As for Wedding: An Olympic snowboarder trafficking so much powder is a little on the nose.