Mexican law enforcement has carried out a series of coordinated raids on properties connected to a suspect matching the description of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who is currently on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for his alleged leadership of a vast international narcotics network.
Raids Execute in Mexico City Area
According to a statement from Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, four separate raids were conducted on homes located in Mexico City and the surrounding State of Mexico. The operations involved multiple agencies, including the Attorney General's Office, the Navy, and the National Guard.
While the official statement did not name Wedding directly, it explicitly linked the actions to a former Olympic athlete who is a fugitive on the United States' ten most wanted list. This description aligns perfectly with the profile of the 44-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
From Olympic Athlete to Alleged Kingpin
Ryan Wedding represented Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Following his athletic career, authorities allege he transitioned into organized crime, building a sophisticated operation accused of trafficking large quantities of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and into distribution networks in the United States and Canada.
Wedding, who previously resided in Montreal, was added to the FBI's prestigious most-wanted list in March of this year. The investigation into his activities underscores the international scope of the alleged criminal enterprise.
High-Value Seizures and Canadian Connections
The raids resulted in significant seizures, including 62 high-end motorcycles, two vehicles, various pieces of artwork, and notably, two Olympic medals. It was not immediately confirmed to whom the medals belonged or for which sport they were awarded; Wedding himself did not win an Olympic medal during his competitive career.
The actions in Mexico follow closely on legal developments in Canada related to the case. Just days before the raids, Toronto lawyer Deepak Paradkar, 62, was granted bail ahead of an extradition hearing to the United States. Paradkar is accused of advising the murder of a federal witness within Wedding's alleged drug network. He is among several Canadians arrested last month as part of the sprawling FBI investigation.
Mexican authorities stated the raids were the product of bilateral cooperation between law enforcement in Mexico and the United States. The Secretariat of Security confirmed that the investigation into the Wedding case remains active and ongoing.
