Once a celebrated athlete, Ryan Wedding represented Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics, earning the title of the 24th-best parallel giant slalom snowboarder worldwide. However, his life has taken a dramatic and troubling turn over the past two decades.

Today, Wedding finds himself among the infamous ranks of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, a far cry from his days on the snowy slopes. His transition from athlete to fugitive is as surprising as it is alarming.

FBI Director Kash Patel did not mince words, drawing parallels between Wedding and some of history’s most notorious drug lords. “Make no mistake about it: Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar. He’s a modern-day iteration of ‘El Chapo’ Guzman,” Patel stated in November, highlighting the severity of the allegations against him.

The charges against Wedding are grave. Prosecutors allege that he, along with an accomplice named Clark, was behind several ruthless acts of violence. In November 2023, they reportedly orchestrated the murders of two family members in Ontario, an act of retaliation for a stolen drug shipment, according to the prosecution. A third family member was also targeted but survived the attack.

As if these accusations weren’t serious enough, Wedding and Clark are also implicated in the murder of another individual in May 2024, allegedly over a drug-related debt. These allegations paint a chilling picture of a man once known for his athletic prowess.

Further, Wedding and Clark allegedly ordered the murder of another person in May 2024 over a drug debt, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors identified Wedding as a fugitive and listed off a string of his aliases, including “James Conrad King,” “El Jefe,” “El Toro,” and “Boss.”

Fifteen other co-defendants were indicted along with him. Clark was arrested in Mexico in October 2024 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court records.

The stakes were raised even higher in January 2025 after a federal witness in the case against Wedding was shot to death in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia.

Wedding placed a bounty on the man’s head and enlisted others to find and kill him, according to prosecutors.

In March 2025, the FBI added Wedding to its notorious Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and announced the US State Department was offering a reward of up to $10 million for his capture.

The Olympian is among a notorious group that includes people like Omar Cardenas, accused of fatally shooting a man at a large outdoor shopping center in California, and Bhadreshkumar Patel, accused of fatally beating his wife in Maryland.

The FBI released a flyer with photos of Wedding and listed his height at 6-foot-3 and weight of about 240 pounds (109kg), with brown hair and blue eyes.

In November, US officials announced the arrest of 10 more defendants – including an attorney for Wedding – related to the killing of the federal witness.

The reward for Wedding’s capture was raised to US $15 million (AU $22.6 million).

“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 he was not extradited to the United States,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said.

At a news conference, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wedding’s operation has trafficked 60 metric tonnes of cocaine per year.

He is the “largest distributor of cocaine in Canada,” she said.

“Wedding went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

In addition, the Treasury Department sanctioned Wedding and seized some of his assets, including a rare 2002 Mercedes CLK-GTR Roadster valued at US $13 million (AU $19.6 million).

The vehicle is one of just six of its type ever made, according to MotorTrend.

While his exact whereabouts are unknown, officials said they believe Wedding is in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel.

He is described as “armed and dangerous.”

The FBI asked that anyone with information about him should contact the FBI or their nearest American embassy or consulate.

An FBI spokesperson said Wednesday the bureau has received “a good amount of tips” since the reward was increased, though Wedding remains a fugitive.

If convicted of the continuing criminal enterprise charge, he would face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison.