Mexican authorities have arrested Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and one of the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives, over allegations linking him to an international drug trafficking network and the murder of a federal witness, U.S. officials announced on Friday, with the 44-year-old taken into custody late Thursday after years on the run, according to AP. U.S. prosecutors allege Wedding led a large-scale narcotics operation spanning Colombia, Mexico, the United States and Canada, with a reward of up to $15 million previously offered for information leading to his capture. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest, with Patel saying Wedding was already being transferred to U.S. custody, adding, “Those who think they can hide from justice indefinitely are wrong.” Mexico’s Security Secretary, Omar García Harfuch, said the operation involved close coordination between U.S. and Mexican authorities, while a Mexican security official identified Wedding as a Canadian citizen who surrendered at the U.S. Embassy. Wedding represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics, placing 24th in the men’s parallel giant slalom event, but authorities say he later became a major organized crime figure, allegedly moving cocaine from Colombia through Mexico into the United States and Canada, and later orchestrating the killing of a cooperating witness in Colombia in January to derail extradition efforts. Canadian authorities have also been seeking Wedding over separate drug trafficking charges dating back to 2015, while U.S. records show he was convicted in 2010 for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and is expected to face prosecution in the United States as extradition proceedings continue.
