Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding pleaded not guilty Monday to a sweeping list of federal charges that include murder, drug trafficking, and running a massive international criminal enterprise.
Wedding made his first court appearance since being arrested in Mexico last week, ending more than a decade on the run. U.S. authorities say Wedding had been hiding in Mexico for years and was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list last March, with a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his capture.
According to federal prosecutors, Wedding moved nearly 60 tons of cocaine between Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and Southern California, working closely with the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. The drugs were allegedly transported by boat and plane into Mexico, smuggled into the United States by semi truck, and stored in Southern California before being shipped north into Canada and other parts of the U.S.
FBI Director Kash Patel was present for Wedding’s arrest and described him as one of the most dangerous narcotics traffickers of the modern era.
“He went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco-trafficker in modern times,” Patel said. “He’s a modern-day El Chapo. He’s a modern-day Pablo Escobar, and he thought he could evade justice.”
Mexican authorities initially claimed Wedding surrendered at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, but his attorney strongly disputed that account.
“He was arrested,” defense attorney Anthony Colombo said. “He did not surrender.”
Colombo added that while the situation has been overwhelming, Wedding was in good spirits during the court appearance.
Wedding was first indicted in 2024 on charges including running a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and multiple counts of murder. Prosecutors allege he ordered the killing of two members of a Canadian family in 2023 in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment, as well as a separate killing in 2024 over an unpaid drug debt.
Federal court filings also accuse Wedding of orchestrating the murder of a potential witness in Colombia in an attempt to avoid extradition to the United States. In addition to the U.S. case, Wedding faces separate drug trafficking charges in Canada dating back to 2015.
Wedding is scheduled to return to federal court on February 11, with trial currently set for March 24.
Before his criminal career, Wedding competed for Canada in the men’s parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he finished 24th.
The post Former Olympic Snowboarder Pleads Not Guilty to Murder, Drug Trafficking Charges appeared first on Real News Now.
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