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 is accused of running a massive criminal empire that ships large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin from Mexico and South America to the US and Canada.
- The FBI believes Wedding is hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel and has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
- Wedding is suspected of ordering dozens of murders, including the killing of an innocent Indian couple in Ontario, and has been on the run since 2015.
- The FBI has seized several assets linked to Wedding, including an ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster estimated to be worth $13 million.
Introduction to the Manhunt
The US authorities have intensified their search for Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding, releasing two new photos of the suspected drug kingpin. The FBI’s Los Angeles field office published a photo of Wedding, 44, shirtless in bed, revealing a large tattoo of a lion on his chest. The picture is believed to have been taken in Mexico this past summer. Separately, the US embassy in Mexico published an older photo of Wedding in a green t-shirt, with a shaved head. The FBI has added Wedding to its list of 10 most-wanted fugitives and has increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to $15 million.
The Accusations Against Wedding
Wedding is accused of running a massive 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 described him as the "modern-day iteration" of notorious drug lords Pablo Escobar and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Wedding is believed to be hiding in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel, which was once led by Guzman. The FBI has said that Wedding is responsible for ordering dozens of murders, including the killing of an innocent Indian couple in Ontario, who were mistakenly targeted over a stolen cocaine shipment.
The Search for Wedding
The FBI has been searching for Wedding since 2015, and the agency has released several photos of him in an effort to gather more information about his whereabouts. 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 more recent photo. The FBI has suggested that Wedding may have undergone plastic surgery to change his appearance and avoid capture. The agency has also said that Wedding may use aliases, including James Conrad King and Jesse King, and has been known to use pseudonyms such as Public Enemy, Giant, Grande, Mexi, and "El Jefe" (the boss).
The Investigation and Seizures
The FBI has seized several assets linked to Wedding, including an ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster estimated to be worth $13 million. The car was purchased by a Toronto jeweller accused of acting as one of Wedding’s chief money launderers. The FBI has also charged Wedding and several associates with conspiracy and murder in connection with the killing of a Montreal-born drug-trafficker-turned FBI witness, Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, in Medellin, Colombia. Court documents have revealed that Wedding considered Acebedo-Garcia a "rat" and placed a $5-million bounty on his head.
The Public’s Help
The US embassy in Mexico has urged the public to come forward with any information about Wedding’s whereabouts. The embassy has released a video online, asking people to report any tips or sightings of the fugitive. The FBI has also emphasized the importance of the public’s help in capturing Wedding, saying that someone with his appearance and reputation is likely to stand out in Mexico. The agency has encouraged people to contact them with any information, no matter how small it may seem, in the hopes of bringing Wedding to justice.