From Olympian to Fugitive: The Fall of Ryan Wedding
The Capture of a Most Wanted Criminal
Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding’s life took a dramatic turn from athletic glory to criminal infamy when FBI agents escorted him in handcuffs off a plane at Ontario International Airport in Southern California on Friday. The 44-year-old Canadian, who had been placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025, surrendered to authorities after extended negotiations. Once a respected Olympic athlete representing Team Canada, Wedding now faces serious federal charges related to drug trafficking and multiple murders. Sources indicated that mounting pressure had finally made it impossible for Wedding to continue evading U.S. authorities, leading to his surrender. The FBI has described him in stark terms as an “extremely violent criminal believed to be responsible for the murder of numerous people abroad.”
From Olympic Dreams to Criminal Enterprise
Wedding’s journey began with Olympic aspirations. After missing qualification for the 1998 Winter Olympics, he finally achieved his dream by competing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. His performance in the men’s parallel giant slalom resulted in a 24th-place finish, far behind the medal winners. Following his brief Olympic career, Wedding enrolled at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, seemingly on track for a normal post-athletic life. However, his involvement in criminal activity appears to have begun around 2006, when he was implicated in a marijuana growing operation in British Columbia. Police seized 6,800 marijuana plants during that investigation, though no charges were filed against Wedding at that time. This incident marked the beginning of his transition from athlete to alleged criminal.
The Development of a Transnational Drug Network
According to the FBI, Wedding evolved from small-time marijuana operations to running a sophisticated transnational drug trafficking network that “routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada and other locations in the United States.” The scale of Wedding’s alleged operation is staggering, with authorities estimating that he transported approximately $1 billion worth of cocaine. His first significant arrest came in 2009, when he traveled from Vancouver to California allegedly to purchase 24 kilograms of Colombian cocaine. During his trial, Wedding maintained a facade of legitimacy, claiming he volunteered for cancer agencies, invested in real estate, and was training for the 2010 Olympics. The Canadian Snowboard Federation contradicted these claims, noting he had not competed professionally in years. Wedding served a four-year prison sentence after that conviction, forfeiting more than $121,000 seized during an airport sting.
Escalating Violence and Murder Allegations
What distinguishes Wedding’s case from typical drug trafficking operations is the extreme violence allegedly employed to maintain control of his criminal empire. The FBI has accused Wedding of orchestrating multiple murders and attempted murders as part of his drug trafficking operation. In a particularly disturbing incident detailed in an indictment unsealed in November, Wedding and 14 alleged associates were specifically accused of orchestrating the January 2025 murder of a witness who was shot and killed at a restaurant in Colombia. According to authorities, Wedding had placed a bounty on the victim’s head, believing their death would lead to the dismissal of charges against him and his operation. This calculated violence demonstrates how far Wedding had strayed from his days as an Olympic athlete representing his country with pride.
Years as a Fugitive
After serving his four-year sentence for the 2009 cocaine trafficking conviction, Wedding didn’t abandon his alleged criminal activities. In 2015, he faced new drug offenses in Nova Scotia, but this time, law enforcement couldn’t apprehend him. Wedding managed to evade capture for nearly a decade, operating his drug trafficking network while remaining one step ahead of authorities. During this time as a fugitive, Wedding’s network allegedly continued to expand, becoming more sophisticated and violent. His ability to avoid capture for so long suggests both resource and connections that likely developed during his years in the drug trade. The addition of Wedding to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025 signaled the seriousness with which American authorities viewed his alleged crimes and their determination to bring him to justice.
The Fall and Upcoming Legal Battle
Wedding’s capture represents the end of a remarkable transformation from Olympic athlete to alleged drug kingpin. His journey from the prestigious Olympic stage to being escorted in handcuffs by FBI agents illustrates a dramatic fall from grace. As Wedding now faces the American justice system, he will have to answer for allegations of orchestrating murders and running a billion-dollar drug trafficking operation. The details that emerge during his trial may provide insight into how a once-promising athlete became entangled in international crime. Whatever the outcome of his legal proceedings, Ryan Wedding’s story serves as a cautionary tale about how drastically life trajectories can change. From representing his country at the highest level of athletic competition to becoming one of America’s most wanted fugitives, Wedding’s path reflects choices that led him far from the Olympic ideals of excellence, respect, and friendship to a life dominated by allegations of violence, greed, and criminality.
