Former Olympian Ryan James Wedding added to FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list for drug trafficking, murders

U.S. Department of State offering reward of up to $10 million for capture

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – A former Olympic athlete who competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games is now one of the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted fugitives.

Ryan James Wedding, 43, is accused of running a transnational drug trafficking operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, and into Canada and various locations across the United States, according to the FBI. Federal authorities also allege that Wedding was involved in orchestrating multiple murders linked to the drug trade.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced March 6, that it is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest and/or conviction.

From Olympic competition to criminal allegations

Wedding, a Canadian national, represented his country as a snowboarder in the halfpipe event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah. However, in the years following his athletic career, he allegedly became a key figure in a large-scale narcotics operation.

Wedding, has various aliases including “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King,” and “Jesse King,” according to the FBI.

Court documents indicate that Wedding was under investigation for years, with authorities tracking his alleged involvement in drug distribution networks and violent crimes tied to cartel activity. His inclusion on the FBI’s Most Wanted list suggests law enforcement considers him a high-priority fugitive with an international reach.

Authorities believe Wedding has extensive ties to organized crime groups in North and South America, making his capture particularly challenging. His last known whereabouts are unclear, and officials warn that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

“As alleged in the indictment, defendant Ryan Wedding—a former Olympian—led a transnational criminal organization that murdered innocent people and put thousands of kilograms of narcotics on our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The reward offered today will help bring this defendant to justice in the United States. We urge anyone with information about Wedding to contact law enforcement and help us get Mr. Wedding into custody.”

Previous run-ins with the law

This is not Wedding’s first encounter with the criminal justice system. In 2008, he was arrested in California for drug-related offenses, including possession with intent to distribute. At the time, he was sentenced to federal prison, but he later re-emerged as a suspected leader in a global trafficking ring.

The FBI is offering a reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest, urging anyone with knowledge of his location to come forward.

He has been wanted by the FBI since October, but just recently entered the Top 10 Most Wanted.

As law enforcement intensifies its efforts to locate him, Wedding’s story stands as a stark contrast to his days as an Olympic athlete, once celebrated on the world stage but now sought in connection with an international drug empire and multiple homicides.