Fugitive And Ex-Olympian Ryan Wedding Finally In Custody For Ties To Cocaine Op

Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, once a face in the 2002 Winter Games, is now in custody after spending years dodging authorities in a case that reads more like a cartel thriller than a sports comeback. Two law enforcement officials say that Wedding has been arrested, ending a nearly decade-long run from investigators who allege the 44-year-old Canadian helped lead a sprawling cocaine trafficking operation tied to Southern California. Wedding wasn’t just wanted... He was on the FBI's Top Ten Fugitives wanted list. The FBI had reportedly boosted the reward for information leading to Ryan Wedding's arrest and conviction to $15 million, as investigators claimed he was living in Mexico and taking steps to avoid capture.

Wedding, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, finishing 24th in the men’s parallel giant slalom. But federal prosecutors allege his post-Olympics path took a dark turn, from real estate and bodybuilding into drug trafficking circles, including a past U.S. conviction tied to an undercover drug buy.

According to NBC, authorities have accused Wedding of playing a major role in a transnational drug ring, and the charges attached to his case are as serious as they come. He was charged with multiple felonies in 2024, including counts connected to murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors have also alleged that a federal witness was targeted and killed after Wedding allegedly “placed a bounty” on the person’s head.

The arrest comes after headlines about a flashy raid tied to the case when authorities seized motorcycles believed to be connected to Wedding, along with other luxury items, drugs, and ammunition, according to federal statements. Federal officials have also alleged Wedding used a “complex web” of assets to hide wealth, including properties, vehicles, cryptocurrency, and front businesses.

Federal prosecutors allege Wedding’s ties to the drug world stretch back years, including claims that he partnered with Iranian and Russian cocaine smugglers. In 2010, he was convicted after allegedly attempting to buy cocaine from an undercover U.S. government agent, ultimately receiving a four-year prison sentence before being released in 2011.

Then in 2024, Wedding was charged as part of the U.S. government’s Operation Giant Slalom, with authorities alleging he led a cocaine trafficking cartel and was linked to murder allegations connected to the case. Prosecutors specifically allege Wedding ordered multiple killings, including the murders of married couple Jagtar Sidhu, 57, and Harbhajan Sidhu, 55, in November 2023, 39-year-old Mohammed Zafar in May 2024, and a federal witness in Colombia in January 2025.

Federal officials have painted Wedding as far more than a former Olympian with a criminal case, and Attorney General Pam Bondi previously claimed his alleged organization was funneling an enormous amount of cocaine into Los Angeles each year. “He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in this world,” Bondi said in December, per NBC News. “He is currently the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada.”

Prosecutors allege Wedding’s path into trafficking dates back to around 2008, when he traveled to San Diego with two other men to purchase cocaine, a move they say set the stage for what came next. After being convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and released from prison in December 2011, federal prosecutors claim Wedding rapidly re-emerged as a major player, alleging he quickly established himself as a high-level international drug distributor.

Details about the arrest itself were initially kept tight, but authorities scheduled a Friday news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and RCMP representatives expected to address the capture and what comes next.

With Wedding now in custody, the focus shifts to how quickly the legal process moves, and what prosecutors say they can prove in court about the alleged trafficking network and the deaths tied to the case.