Accused murderer, cocaine trafficker, and former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been arrested in Mexico and is now in U.S. custody, the FBI confirmed. The Canadian, 44, had been on the FBI's radar for years over his alleged role in a massive international drug operation that funneled around 60 metric tons of cocaine into Southern California each year.
Wedding's arrest marks a major milestone for federal agents. He spent much of the past decade under the protection of Mexico's powerful and notorious Sinaloa cartel, Attorney General Pam Bondi said after his arrest. FBI Director Kash Patel even compared him to the cartel's now imprisoned former boss, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
Nabbed at Last
Patel said the takedown of the former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin makes him the sixth fugitive from the FBI's top-10 most wanted list to be captured under President Trump, calling it a "historic" year for the bureau.
Speaking on Friday at Ontario International Airport in California, following Wedding's arrest in Mexico City, Patel highlighted what he described as the FBI's solid track record over the past year, pointing to record-breaking numbers of criminals brought to justice.
"Today we are announcing the capture of another FBI's most wanted, top-10 fugitive, Ryan Wedding," Patel said. "That makes six top 10 FBI captures in one year alone."
"To put that in perspective, that's two more than the entirety of the prior administration," Patel said, referring to the Biden administration.
Patel told reporters that the FBI made about 67,000 arrests over the past year — a staggering 200% jump compared to the year before.
He also said agents arrested six fugitives from the FBI's top 10 most wanted list and seized enough fentanyl to kill roughly 150 million Americans, calling it a 31% increase in drug seizures.
Patel Shouts Out Loud
On top of that, Patel noted the bureau stepped up its counterintelligence efforts, making 35% more arrests tied to foreign espionage involving actors from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
Patel added that federal authorities have located and identified about 6,000 missing children this year — a 22% jump from previous figures. He also pointed to a 20% drop in the U.S. murder rate under President Trump, highlighting it as another sign of progress.
"That is an all-time record for the modern era," Patel said.
Patel also revealed that another fugitive from the FBI's top-10 most wanted list was arrested in Mexico last week and is expected to be brought back to the United States soon to face charges.
