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Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder accused of leading a vast drug trafficking operation, has been apprehended in Mexico and will be extradited to the United States, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Wedding, who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, is alleged to have orchestrated a transnational drug trafficking network responsible for moving tons of cocaine across international borders.
The 44-year-old Wedding also faces murder charges. U.S. officials had previously indicated their belief that Wedding was residing in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
The Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Mike Duheme, whose agency assisted in the investigation, joined Patel on Friday to commend the collaborative law enforcement effort.
“No single agency or nation can combat transnational organised crime alone,” Commissioner Duheme stated.
“We can finally say that our communities, our countries, are much safer with the arrest of Ryan Wedding,” he added.
Wedding is scheduled to appear in court in Los Angeles on Monday for his initial hearing.
Authorities allege that Wedding’s drug trafficking operation imported approximately 60 metric tons of cocaine annually.
The organization’s operations spanned North America, as well as several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. It was also reportedly the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada, generating an estimated $1 billion in revenue each year.
Prior to his arrest, Wedding was accused of murdering a federal witness involved in a case against him. Officials further allege that he ordered the murders of several other individuals.
Wedding now faces a series of felony charges, including witness tampering and intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
The FBI had previously offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Patel declined to comment on whether anyone would be claiming the reward money.
U.S. officials have released limited details concerning the circumstances of Wedding’s capture, stating only that it occurred on Thursday night in Mexico City.
Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s top security official, stated in a post on X that Patel had visited Mexico City on Thursday and departed with two fugitives on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list.
While he did not identify the men arrested, he noted that one was a “Canadian citizen who voluntarily surrendered” at the U.S. embassy in Mexico.
The Associated Press, citing an unnamed Mexican Security Cabinet member, reported that Wedding is the Canadian who turned himself in at the U.S. embassy.
During a news conference, Patel described Wedding as a “modern-day Pablo Escobar,” referencing the notorious Colombian cartel leader. U.S. officials have also drawn comparisons between Wedding and Mexican drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
“When you go after a guy like Ryan Wedding, it takes a united front,” Patel said, expressing gratitude to Canadian and Mexican authorities for their assistance in the investigation.
Patel also thanked the FBI Hostage Rescue Team for their participation in Wedding’s capture.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Patel praised the team, noting their involvement in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro weeks prior.
“This was a complex, high-stakes operation with zero margin for error,” Patel told the magazine.
“I was on the ground with our team in Mexico and witnessed extraordinary teamwork, precision, and trust between our agents and partners in Mexico.”
Wedding’s aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King,” and “Jesse King,” according to the FBI. He reportedly underwent plastic surgery to alter his appearance while evading authorities.
Officials allege that he launched his criminal enterprise after being released from a U.S. federal prison in 2011, where he was serving a sentence for cocaine distribution.
Authorities claim he has ordered dozens of murders across the globe, including in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.
Officials say he had been living in luxury in Mexico. In December, Mexican authorities announced that they had seized $40m in racing motorcycles owned by Wedding. They also seized other valuable items, including luxury paintings, artworks, drugs and two Olympic gold medals.
It is unclear to whom the medals belong. Wedding competed for Canada in the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, but did not win any medals. He came in 24th place in the men’s giant parallel slalom ski event.
In November, the FBI seized his rare 2002 Mercedes CLK-GTR, which had been valued at $13m.
Patel also discussed the recent arrest of another man in Mexico who had been on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Alejandro Castillo, an American man, was wanted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. According to the FBI, he had been in hiding in Mexico for nearly 10 years and will now be extradited back to North Carolina for trial.
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