The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has increased its reward offer for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Canadian narcotics trafficker Ryan James Wedding. The reward, now up to $15 million, was previously set at $10 million. This action is part of a joint effort with the FBI and the governments of Canada and Mexico.
Additionally, the Department announced rewards of up to $2 million each for information that leads to the arrests or convictions of multiple unidentified individuals responsible for the January 2025 murder of an associate of Wedding in Medellín, Colombia.
Ryan James Wedding is currently on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitive List. He represented Canada as an Olympic snowboarder in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. After his athletic career, authorities allege he became involved in transnational narcotics trafficking and was last known to be living in Mexico.
Indictments state that from January 2024 to August 2024, Wedding and others allegedly conspired to transport large quantities of cocaine from Southern California into Canada through a network operated by co-conspirators based in Ontario. The organization is also accused of using violence and committing murders as part of its operations. This includes a November 2023 double homicide in Ontario linked to a stolen drug shipment, as well as a May 2024 killing in Niagara Falls over a drug debt. Wedding and several associates have also been indicted for their alleged involvement in the January 2025 murder of a U.S. federal witness against him in Colombia.
These announcements are made alongside actions by other U.S. agencies: "Today’s announcements complement the Department of Justice’s announcement of the unsealing of an indictment against Wedding and the unknown assassins, as well as the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) announcement of sanctions against Wedding, several of his associates, and related entities."
The Secretary authorized these reward offers under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP), which aims to support law enforcement efforts targeting global transnational crime networks.
Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact law enforcement through secure messaging platforms or by reaching out to local embassies or consulates if outside the United States.
"ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards."
