Who Is Ryan Marriage ceremony? Former Olympian Accused of Main Drug Ring
Former Olympic athlete turned alleged drug kingpin, Ryan James Wedding, has found himself at the center of a manhunt after he was accused of being the ringleader of an international drug ring.
Life & Style breaks down everything to know about the case, as well as shares details of who Wedding is.
Ryan Wedding Has Been Accused of Leading an International Drug Ring
Wedding has been accused of running a criminal enterprise in which six metric tons of cocaine were smuggled into Los Angeles via semitrucks from Mexico, according to ABC Action News.
“Ryan Wedding is a modern day iteration of Pablo Escobar,” FBI Director Kash Patel said during a news conference on November 19. “He’s a modern day iteration of ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.”
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Law enforcement officials revealed that Wedding has been charged with overseeing the operations of a criminal enterprise, which includes engaging in witness intimidation tactics such as murder and enriching himself with the enterprise’s laundered drug proceeds.
Additionally, law enforcement officials said they’re offering a $15 million reward for his arrest.
Prosecutors Believe Wedding Ordered a Witness to Be Killed
Prosecutors also said they believe Wedding ordered a witness to be killed before he was set to testify against him in a federal drug trafficking case, resulting in him now facing a murder charge.
“Ryan Wedding has orchestrated murders against his rivals, against cooperating witnesses, against anybody that crosses his path,” Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI in Los Angeles, said.
During the press conference, it was alleged that Wedding used a Canadian website to post images of the witness and his wife to locate him. The witness was then tracked down and fatally shot at a restaurant before he could testify against Wedding in court.
“The murder of a witness in Colombia earlier this year was a cruel, cold-blooded act that could not and did not go unanswered,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement on November 19. “This week’s arrests underscore our resolve to root out and punish the wrongdoers involved in this criminal organization and serve as a warning for drug lord Ryan Wedding: If convicted, you will never see the outside of a prison ever again.”
Ten People Have Been Arrested in Connection to Ryan Wedding’s Crimes
While Wedding is still on the run, ten people were arrested on November 18, 2025, as part of a law enforcement action called Operation Giant Slalom.
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Who Is Ryan Wedding?
Before Wedding made headlines for his alleged involvement in the drug ring and was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, he was an athlete who competed as a snowboarder with Canada in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.