Authorities are intensifying their search for Ryan Wedding, with recent operations involving a series of raids conducted in Mexico.
Once a Canadian Olympic snowboarder, Wedding is now sought by the FBI and has been likened to ‘a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar’ by FBI director Kash Patel.
He is accused of masterminding a “narco-trafficking and narco-terrorism program” that U.S. authorities describe as unprecedented in recent history.
The 44-year-old is also implicated in multiple homicides, including the assassination of a government witness earlier this year.
Given the severity of his alleged crimes, the FBI is offering a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Authorities recently released a new photo of Wedding, purportedly taken last summer at a property in Mexico, where he is suspected of hiding.
Mexican authorities, anticipating his presence in the country, have executed raids on four properties, confiscating numerous luxury items attributed to Wedding.
Items seized in the operations included 62 luxury motorcycles, two vehicles, methamphetamine, marijuana, artwork, ammunition, and documents, according to CTV News.
Additionally, two Olympic medals were discovered, though no information was provided about their ownership.
The operations involved various Mexican law enforcement groups, including the navy, national guard, and the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), as reported by CBC.
Ken Gray, a former FBI agent and current senior lecturer at the University of New Haven, describes the raids as a crucial development in the effort to find Wedding.
“Even though they didn’t capture Ryan Wedding in these raids, this is a significant step in that it shows that Mexican authorities are taking this seriously now and that they are making efforts to locate Ryan Wedding and attack his organization,” Gray stated to CTV News.
Former FBI agent and federal prosecutor M. Quentin Williams agrees, noting that authorities are closing in on Wedding and his whereabouts.
If you have information on Wedding’s location, you are encouraged to contact the FBI via WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram at (424) 495-0614. These platforms are not government-operated or controlled.
Alternatively, you can reach out to your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit an online tip at tips.fbi.gov.