From Olympic Snowboarder to FBI Ten Most Wanted: The Alleged Rise of Ryan Wedding

How a Once-Promising Olympian Became an International Fugitive

Ryan Wedding, who represented Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics, is now the subject of a sweeping international manhunt after being added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. Federal prosecutors accuse the 44-year-old of leading a transnational drug-trafficking and money-laundering enterprise nicknamed Operation Giant Slalom that allegedly involved cocaine shipments, multiple murders and a global support network.

Early Life and Athletic Career

Born in 1981 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Wedding grew up in a family steeped in winter sports. He joined Canada s national snowboarding team at age 15 and competed internationally from 1997 to 2002, including at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, where he finished 24th in the parallel giant slalom.

First Criminal Case and Prison Sentence

After his athletic career ended, Wedding moved to Vancouver, enrolled at Simon Fraser University and, authorities say, entered the drug trade. In June 2008 he was arrested during an alleged cocaine purchase in San Diego. He went to trial, was convicted in November 2009 and sentenced in 2010 to four years in prison. Records indicate he was released in December 2011.

Operation Giant Slalom: The Superseding Indictment

Federal prosecutors say Wedding abandoned earlier promises to reform and instead built a sprawling criminal enterprise beginning around 2011. A superseding indictment filed in October 2024 charges him with running a continuing criminal enterprise, trafficking large quantities of cocaine across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia, and laundering proceeds. Prosecutors allege the operation moved hundreds of kilograms at a time and estimate the organization s trafficking at a massive scale.

Officials Say: FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement leaders have likened Wedding s alleged operation to those run by notorious drug lords, underscoring the scope and violence prosecutors attribute to his network.

Alleged Violence and Murders

Prosecutors accuse Wedding of ordering multiple killings. Authorities say two members of a family in Ontario were murdered in November 2023 in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment and that another killing in May 2024 was ordered over a drug debt. In January 2025 a federal witness in the case was fatally shot at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia; prosecutors allege Wedding placed a bounty on that witness s head and enlisted others to carry out the murder.

Fugitive Status, Rewards and Seized Assets

Wedding was added to the FBI s Ten Most Wanted list in March 2025. The U.S. State Department and law enforcement agencies have offered rewards totaling up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest. Authorities describe him as approximately 6 ft 3 in, about 240 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, and believe he is hiding in Mexico with protection from the Sinaloa cartel.

The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Wedding and seized assets tied to him, including a rare 2002 Mercedes CLK-GTR Roadster that authorities value at around $13 million. Fifteen co-defendants were indicted alongside him; one notable co-defendant, Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico in October 2024 and has pleaded not guilty.

Legal Stakes

If convicted on the continuing criminal enterprise charge, Wedding faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. Law enforcement continues to seek tips from the public; officials say the increased reward has produced leads but Wedding remains at large.

How To Report Tips

The FBI asks anyone with information about Ryan Wedding's whereabouts to contact the FBI, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, or local law enforcement. Authorities warn that he is considered armed and dangerous.