SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) – Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, has pleaded not guilty to charges including running a billion-dollar drug trafficking ring and orchestrating multiple killings. His first court appearance in the United States took place on Monday after he was arrested in Mexico last week. U.S. authorities identified Wedding as one of the FBI's top fugitives and added him to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March 2023, offering a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Wedding, who represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has allegedly been involved in drug trafficking for over a decade. Authorities claim he coordinated the movement of approximately 60 tons of cocaine between Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and Southern California. Wedding is believed to have operated under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations. According to a 2024 indictment, Wedding's drug trafficking group was identified as the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada.
Mexican officials reported that Wedding turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, leading to his subsequent transfer to Southern California. This arrest followed a yearlong collaboration between U.S., Mexican, Canadian, Colombian, and Dominican authorities aimed at apprehending him. However, Wedding's defense attorney, Anthony Colombo, disputed this account, stating that his client did not surrender voluntarily but was instead arrested.
During the brief hearing in Santa Ana, Wedding appeared in a tan jail jumpsuit with his ankles chained. He briefly smiled and then leaned back in his chair while reviewing documents with his attorney. When U.S. Magistrate John D. Early inquired if he had read the indictments against him, Wedding affirmed that he had read both. The judge ordered that Wedding be held in custody, citing concerns regarding public safety and his potential appearance in court for future proceedings. A return court date was set for February 11, with a trial date proposed for March 24.
Federal prosecutors declined to comment following the hearing. Wedding's case comes amid a broader trend of Mexico increasing its cooperation with the U.S. in extraditing detained cartel members as the U.S. government pushes back against drug trafficking threats. Wedding has been indicted on various federal charges, including running a criminal enterprise, murder, and conspiring to distribute cocaine. Legal documentation reveals that his organization procured cocaine from Colombia and coordinated with Mexican cartels to transport drugs to the U.S. via boats and planes.
Specific murder charges levied against Wedding relate to the 2023 killings of two members of a Canadian family, allegedly executed as retaliation for a stolen drug shipment. Additionally, he is implicated in ordering a killing over a drug debt in 2024 and was indicted for orchestrating the murder of a witness in Colombia to evade extradition to the U.S. Notably, Wedding has a prior conviction in the U.S. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, which resulted in a prison sentence in 2010; he was released in 2011. Furthermore, he faces separate drug-related charges in Canada dating back to 2015.
