Key Takeaways
- The FBI has released two new photos of Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding, a suspected drug kingpin, as part of an intensified search effort.
- Wedding, 44, is accused of running a criminal empire that ships large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin from Mexico and South America to the US and Canada.
- The FBI has increased the reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest to $15 million US, and believes he is hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel.
- Wedding is alleged to have ordered dozens of murders around the world, including the shooting deaths of an innocent Indian couple in Ontario, Canada.
- The FBI has seized an ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster, estimated to be worth $13 million US, as part of the investigation into Wedding’s activities.
Introduction to Ryan Wedding
The FBI has released two new photos of Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding, a suspected drug kingpin, as part of an intensified search effort. Wedding, 44, is accused of running a criminal empire that ships large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin from Mexico and South America to the US and Canada. The FBI has increased the reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest to $15 million US, and believes he is hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel.
New Photos and Descriptions
The two newly-released photos show strikingly different looks for Wedding, with a shaved, balding head in the older image and a full head of hair in the newer image. The picture taken in bed appears to be the first image released by authorities that was either snapped by Wedding himself or someone intimately close to him. The FBI had previously posted two photos taken in 2024 which seemed to have been taken from a distance, without his knowledge. Wedding is described as standing six feet, three inches tall and weighing between 230 and 250 pounds, and is thought to have used several aliases, including James Conrad King and Jesse King.
Investigation and Charges
Wedding is alleged to have ordered dozens of murders around the world, including the shooting deaths of an innocent Indian couple in Caledon, Ontario, Canada, mistakenly targeted in November 2023 over a stolen cocaine shipment. He has also been charged in connection with the January slaying of Montreal-born drug-trafficker-turned FBI witness, Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, in Medellin, Colombia. Court documents reveal that Wedding considered Acebedo-Garcia a "rat" and placed a $5-million US bounty on his head. A prominent Toronto-area lawyer linked to Wedding and a crime blogger are also charged with helping Wedding plot the assassination.
International Manhunt
The FBI has been searching for Wedding since 2015, and has intensified its efforts in recent months. The agency believes that Wedding is hiding in Mexico, under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel, and is soliciting the public’s help to try and identify and locate him. The US Embassy in Mexico has also released a video urging the public to come forward with any information about Wedding’s whereabouts. The FBI has also seized an ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster, estimated to be worth $13 million US, as part of the investigation into Wedding’s activities.
Background and History
Wedding, a former snowboarder who competed for Canada at the 2002 Olympic Games in Utah, has been on the run for several years. He was added to the FBI’s list of 10 most-wanted fugitives this year, and has been described by FBI Director Kash Patel as the "modern-day iteration" of notorious drug lords Pablo Escobar and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The FBI has said that Wedding’s criminal empire is responsible for shipping tonnes of cocaine and fentanyl, plus methamphetamine and heroin, from Mexico and South America to the US and Canada.
Conclusion
The search for Ryan Wedding continues, with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies working together to bring him to justice. The release of new photos and the increased reward for information leading to his arrest are part of an intensified effort to locate and capture Wedding. The public is urged to come forward with any information about his whereabouts, and the FBI is confident that with the help of the public, they will be able to bring Wedding to justice and dismantle his criminal empire.