Archive · 27 Jan 2026
Ex-Olympic Snowboarder Pleads Not Guilty to US Drug Charges
A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder named Ryan Wedding is in big trouble.
He is accused of being a major drug smuggler and ordering several murders.
The U.S. government says he worked with a famous Mexican drug cartel to move a lot of cocaine from Colombia to the U.S. and Canada.
He was on the FBI's most wanted list, and there was even a big reward for information about him.
He was arrested in Mexico and taken to California, where he said he is not guilty.
If he is found guilty, he could go to prison for the rest of his life.
Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old Canadian former Olympic snowboarder, pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and murder charges in a U.S. federal court in Santa Ana, California.
He is accused of leading a transnational drug trafficking network and working with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel to transport hundreds of kilograms of cocaine.
Wedding faces charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to tamper with a witness.
Prosecutors accuse him of ordering several drug-related murders, including that of a U.S. federal witness in Colombia in January 2025.
If convicted of the most serious charges, he could face a sentence of life in prison.
- Who
- Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old Canadian former Olympic snowboarder
- What
- Pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and murder charges in a U.S. federal court
- When
- Arrested on Thursday, pleaded not guilty on Monday, January 26
- Where
- Arrested in Mexico City, pleaded in Santa Ana, California
- Why
- Accused of leading a transnational drug trafficking network and ordering multiple drug-related murders
- Name
- Ryan Wedding
- Age
- 44
- Nationality
- Canadian
- Olympics
- 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Charges
- Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to tamper with a witness
- Reward Offered
- $15 million
- Potential Sentence
- Life in prison if convicted of most serious charges