The manhunt for an Olympic athlete has finally ended. In the early part of this century, Ryan Wedding was best known for representing Canada at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. He came into the men’s parallel giant slalom event that year with high expectations. Ryan had captured a bronze medal at the 1999 World Junior Championship and then won a silver in that same competition two years later.
He wound up 24th in his Olympic event, prompting him to change careers. What he’s allegedly involved with these days, however, has gotten the attention of the FBI. They were after him for over a year. At last, the authorities have tracked him down.
Ryan Wedding is an alleged drug kingpin
It was probably a more lucrative career than what he had in snowboarding, but one he could pay a heavy price for. Since leaving snowboarding behind, Ryan has reportedly become a drug kingpin and, by all accounts, may be facing a long list of charges.
His supposed actions seem to parallel those of fictional character Walter White in the show Breaking Bad. Ryan is accused of ordering multiple murders, including a witness who was supposedly going to testify against him. He’s also being accused of operating a criminal enterprise. The man sometimes referred to as Public Enemy allegedly shipped more than 130,000 pounds of cocaine a year.
AP News reports that he was arrested in Mexico and is currently in custody. The charges against him include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, among others. In November, it was revealed that Ryan was one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives.
One of Ryan’s alleged associates, Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico in 2024. He was handed over to the United States in 2025. A reward of $15 million had previously been offered for information that may lead to Ryan’s arrest.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE RYAN WEDDING’S CHANCES OF AVOIDING A LENGTHY CONVICTION?
