In a dramatic twist worthy of Hollywood headlines, Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder, has been thrust into the limelight not for his sporting prowess but for being one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. Once celebrated for his performances at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah, the Canadian athlete is now accused of masterminding a vast international narcotics empire.

The Department of Justice has leveled serious allegations against Wedding, placing him alongside infamous figures such as Pablo Escobar and ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. At a recent press briefing, FBI Director Kash Patel didn’t mince words, drawing stark comparisons between Wedding and these notorious drug lords. “Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar,” Patel stated emphatically, underscoring the gravity of the charges.

“He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a press conference on Nov. 19. “He is currently the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada. Wedding collaborates closely with the Sinaloa Cartel, a foreign terrorist organization, to flood not only American but also Canadian communities with cocaine coming from Colombia.”

Wedding’s journey from Olympic slopes to alleged criminal infamy took a decisive turn in 2024 when he was indicted for his supposed role as the leader of an organized crime syndicate. This March, the FBI escalated his notoriety by adding him to their Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, a move that highlights the serious nature of the accusations.

Adding another layer to this unfolding saga, a new indictment was announced at a November press conference. According to U.S. authorities, Wedding now faces additional charges, including witness tampering, intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking. These fresh allegations paint a portrait of a man deeply entrenched in criminal activities, starkly contrasting with his former status as a sports hero.

In 2024, Wedding was indicted for allegedly leading the organized crime group, and he was placed on The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list this March.

At the November press conference, Bondi announced that a new indictment had charged Wedding with additional counts of witness tampering and intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking.

The new charges are connected to the January 2025 murder of a federal witness, which the Department of Justice have accused Wedding of ordering.

“[Wedding] used a Canadian website called The Dirty News to post photographs of the witness and his wife in order to locate him,” Bondi said, “which ultimately succeeded. The witness was gunned down in a restaurant in Medellín before he could testify against Wedding.”

First Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli added, “Wedding placed a bounty on the victim’s head in the erroneous belief that the victim’s death would result in the dismissal of criminal charges against him and his international drug trafficking ring, and would further ensure that he was not extradited to the United States. He was wrong.”

The Department of Justice also announced in November that 10 people had been arrested in accordance with the indictment, including a lawyer who allegedly advised Wedding.

The FBI has dubbed their efforts “Operation Giant Slalom”—an apparent reference to the former athlete’s Olympic event.

As of November, the bureau has increased their reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest to $15 million.