The U.S. government announced it was increasing the reward from $10 to $15 million for information leading to the capture of Canadian Ryan Wedding, an Olympic snowboarder accused of drug trafficking from Mexico. The Trump administration also imposed financial sanctions on Wedding, along with nine individuals and nine companies linked to him. Wedding, who is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. According to the State Department, after his sports career, he turned to drug trafficking, and his last known base of operations is Mexico. "(Wedding) controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in the world. He is currently the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a press conference that day. Wedding "closely collaborates" with the Sinaloa Cartel and "is responsible for trafficking about 60 tons of Colombian cocaine to Los Angeles annually using trucks from Mexico," Bondi added. He is charged in the U.S. with leading a criminal enterprise, murder, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The prosecutor announced new charges against the Canadian for witness intimidation and murder after a federal witness in the case was killed in 2024 in Medellín. The U.S. government reported that the Canadian athlete Ryan James Wedding, one of the most wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), may be in Mexico, so there is a reward of $15 million to be given to the person who provides information leading to his capture. Through the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, the FBI confirmed that Wedding operates from Mexico in alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) and "heads a violent organization dedicated to cocaine trafficking." The diplomatic representation also began to spread a video on its social media to remind the amount of the reward and highlight that the Canadian is "one of the most wanted criminals by the FBI." "There is a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his capture. Your tip can make a difference, if you have information about James, contact the United States Embassy," indicated the diplomatic representation led by Ronald Johnson.
