Manhunt for Canadian Fugitive Ryan Wedding Intensifies: New Photos Released by U.S. Authorities
U.S. authorities have recently shared two new photos of Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding as part of the FBI's intensified search for the alleged drug kingpin. One of the images shows Wedding shirtless in bed, displaying a lion tattoo on his chest, believed to have been taken in Mexico last summer. Another photo released by the U.S. embassy in Mexico shows Wedding in a green t-shirt with a shaved head, but details about the time and location of this picture were not provided. Wedding, a former Canadian snowboarder who competed in the 2002 Olympic Games, has been added to the FBI's list of 10 most-wanted fugitives this year, with a reward of $15 million for information leading to his arrest.
Accused of leading a criminal organization involved in trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin from Mexico and South America to the U.S. and Canada, Wedding has been described by FBI director Kash Patel as a modern-day version of notorious drug lords like Pablo Escobar and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The FBI believes Wedding is currently hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel. The newly released photos of Wedding show different appearances, with one image showing him with a shaved head and the other with a full head of hair.
The FBI has been actively seeking information on Wedding's whereabouts, emphasizing the public's role in identifying and locating him for arrest. Wedding, who has used various aliases, is known to have ordered multiple murders worldwide, including the mistaken shooting deaths of an innocent Indian couple in Caledon, Ont., in 2023. He was also charged in connection with the killing of Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a former drug trafficker turned FBI witness, in Colombia earlier this year. Wedding's associates, including a Toronto-area lawyer and a crime blogger, have also been implicated in assisting him in planning the assassination.
In a recent video released by the U.S. embassy in Mexico, the public was urged to provide any tips or information regarding Wedding's whereabouts, emphasizing the importance of their assistance in apprehending him. The FBI's ongoing investigation into Wedding's criminal activities led to the seizure of a rare Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster in Miami, believed to be linked to Wedding's money laundering operations. The search for Ryan Wedding continues, with authorities seeking the public's help in bringing him to justice.