Olympian Ryan Wedding Accused of Witness Murder and Leading Drug Empire
From Olympic slopes to fugitive status, documenting the shocking fall of Ryan Wedding.
It is the kind of story that seems unreal. A man who once carved through snow on the world’s biggest stage is now chased by federal agents across borders.
Ryan James Wedding, 44, competed for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Now he stands accused of orchestrating the murder of a witness in a sprawling international narcotics ring. The transformation from athlete to alleged crime lord is as startling as it is tragic.
Inside the FBI Investigation
US authorities unveiled a new indictment on November 19, 2025, charging Wedding with ordering the killing of a Colombian-based witness who was scheduled to testify against him in a federal drug trafficking case.
That witness was shot five times in the head at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia.
The Department of Justice described Wedding as the leader of a transnational criminal enterprise that channels cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and into the US and Canada.
The FBI now has Wedding on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, with a $15 million reward offered for information leading to his arrest.
Why This Case Is More Serious Than It Looks
This case matters on several levels.
First, it’s the fall of an Olympian, someone who once symbolised peak performance and national pride, into the darkest fringes of organised crime. That alone captures attention.
Second, the scale of the alleged criminal enterprise is enormous, as authorities claim the operation moved several tons of cocaine each year and that the witness murder was an attempt to stifle justice.
The willingness to kill to protect the ring signals an extreme level of violence endemic in modern drug networks.
Third, the case highlights issues of cross-border crime, cartel collaboration, financial laundering and the blurring of sports fame and criminal infamy.
How an Olympic Got Into The Crime Network
Wedding’s sporting career ended quietly after the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, where he placed 24th in the men’s parallel giant slalom.
After his athletic chapter, his life took a dark turn. Investigations tie him to marijuana-growing operations, drug-trafficking networks and, eventually, to massive cocaine shipments through Mexico into North America.
Earlier indictments in 2024 already accused him of running a continuing criminal enterprise and multiple murders related to the drug business.
The new charges build on that, adding the chilling dimension of witness-killing. The current operation, dubbed “Operation Giant Slalom” by US authorities, signals the scale and brazenness of the allegations.
How Officials and the Sports World Are Responding
When Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the new charges, her words were unambiguous, saying that Wedding is the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada, she said, and added that he collaborates closely with the Sinaloa Cartel.
The FBI echoed the imagery, describing him as a modern-day Pablo Escobar.
The arrest of ten associates followed swiftly, including a Canadian lawyer who allegedly advised Wedding to kill the witness to make the case go away.
For the Olympic world and Canada’s sports memory, the story has prompted bewilderment.
Why This Case Should Concern Every Citizen
At first glance, you might ask, Why should you care?
Because this story touches deeper issues we all face. It’s about accountability, justice, and how power can change hands in unexpected ways.
Whether you follow sports, law enforcement or global crime, the shift from athlete to alleged kingpin makes you ask about what happens when trust is broken and fame is weaponised?
The systems designed to protect society, from sport governance to criminal justice, are under the spotlight.
When someone legitimate in one world becomes feared in another, the question becomes about how the system missed it?
What Happens Next in the Ryan Wedding Case
Ryan Wedding’s journey from Olympic ambition to fugitive status reads almost like a thriller.
But for all the drama, the stakes are deeply real, that of a dead witness, billions in illicit profits, law enforcement across continents on the hunt.
The sporting arc ended decades ago, but the criminal saga may only be beginning.
As investigators close in, one thing is clear, when someone transcends identity, from athlete to alleged crime lord, the story forces a reckoning with what we value, what we trust and how quickly we are to believe in heroes.
