Former Olympian Ryan Wedding Scheduled for Court Appearance in Orange County on January 26
Former Olympian Ryan Wedding to Appear in Court on January 26
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and suspected drug lord, is scheduled to be arraigned in Orange County on Monday, January 26. This hearing was moved from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Ana over the weekend.
Wedding, 44, was apprehended recently in Mexico City after evading authorities for more than a decade. He faces serious federal charges linked to his alleged role in a transnational cocaine trafficking operation and the ordering of a witness’s murder.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the agency’s efforts culminated in Wedding’s arrest, marking a significant moment in the fight against drug-related crime. "This is a huge day for a safer North America, and the world, and a message that those who break our laws and harm our citizens will be brought to justice," Patel stated in a post.
Previously listed as sixth on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List, Wedding’s charges include running a continuing criminal enterprise and committing murder in connection with that enterprise. The updated indictment outlines allegations that he directed operations involving witness intimidation tactics, including murder, to secure his criminal activities.
In October, Wedding was charged with multiple felonies, and he is the principal defendant among 19 individuals implicated in the murder of a witness in Colombia. The charges stem from an incident that occurred on January 31, 2025.
Patel reported that a significant reward of $15 million had been offered for information leading to Wedding’s capture and conviction. Wedding’s operations reportedly transported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and into Southern California, with the intent to distribute across the U.S. and Canada.
Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles bureau, remarked on Wedding’s transition from sports to a life of crime, stating, "Ryan Wedding’s athletic drive snowballed into a life of violence and, instead of conquering mountains, he mastered a deadly drug distribution enterprise."
Competing in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Wedding’s transformation into a notorious figure serves as a grave reminder of a life veering into criminality. If convicted, he and his co-defendants could face life in federal prison.
