Two decades ago, the name Ryan Wedding would make you think of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he represented Canada as a snowboarder and competed in the men’s parallel giant slalom, finishing 24th. But today, that same Olympian is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives list, with a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Recent investigations reveal that Wedding allegedly ran a vast international drug network with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, moving c-caine across Colombia, Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. Authorities have also charged him with ordering multiple m-rders. Investigators also claim he used a Canadian website to post photos of victims and their families to track them down.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Ryan Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world and works closely with the Sinaloa Cartel. We will not rest until his name is taken off the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List, and his narco-trafficking organization lies dismantled.”

More recently, according to The New York Times, Mexican authorities conducted coordinated raids on four properties in Mexico City and the State of Mexico linked to Wedding. The results were staggering: 62 high-end motorcycles, two vehicles, methamphetamine and marijuana, ammunition, artworks, documents, and even two Olympic medals, though their ownership remains unclear.

The Mexican government confirmed the raids “are linked to a former Olympic athlete who is among the 10 most wanted fugitives by U.S. authorities.” These seizures suggest the vast scale of his alleged criminal operations.

And now, multiple Mexican agencies are involved, including the National Guard, Navy, and federal investigators, working closely with U.S. authorities. The FBI’s Los Angeles office even released an updated photo of Wedding, believed to have been taken in Mexico during the summer of 2025, as the hunt continues.

So far, 35 people have been charged in connection with his alleged criminal network, but Wedding remains at large. But how did a former Olympian end up here?

Former Olympian Ryan Wedding turns to a life of crime

Ryan James Wedding was born in Thunder Bay, Canada. Skiing ran in his family; his grandparents owned Mount Baldy Ski Resort, and his uncle, Craig Spiess, coached the Canadian national women’s ski team.

His father, a former competitive skier, moved the family to Coquitlam when Wedding was 12. There, he discovered snowboarding, a sport he quickly mastered. And soon, he won his first race and earned a spot on the Canadian National Team by the age of 15.

He then won a bronze medal at the 1999 Junior World Championship and a silver at the 2001 Junior World Championship in the parallel giant slalom. In 2002, he represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, a moment that should have been the high point of his career. But despite his Olympic debut, success on the slopes didn’t bring him fame or fortune. And soon he retired from snowboarding.

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Struggling to find his path, Wedding turned to crime. In 2008, federal prosecutors said Wedding traveled to San Diego to buy c-caine, but the dealer was an FBI agent in disguise. Wedding was arrested, and in 2009, he went on trial. His lawyer argued he had been “duped by an experienced drug dealer” and was unfairly made out to be the “main guy.”

But the former Olympian was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute c-caine. At his sentencing in 2010, Wedding apologized to the court and his family. “I knew it was wrong, and I did it anyway,” he said. “ I’ve had an opportunity to see firsthand what drugs do to people, and honestly, I’m ashamed that I became a part of the problem for years,” according to NBC Los Angeles.

The judge gave him a lighter sentence of 48 months, and he was released in December 2011. But Wedding soon reverted. Authorities say that after his release, he built a criminal empire, allegedly involved in m-rder, witness tampering, money laundering, and international drug trafficking, a career that eventually put ex-Olympian on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list.