U.S. authorities actively pursuing former Canadian Olympic athlete Ryan Wedding, now a wanted fugitive, have honed in on a specific area in central Mexico, according to information obtained by CBC News.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has initiated a social media drive to gather information on Wedding’s location from individuals residing in the state of Mexico, which encircles Mexico City from the west, north, and east.
FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller stated that they believe there are potential sources in that vicinity who may possess knowledge about Wedding’s whereabouts. While she refrained from confirming if Wedding is hiding in the region, Eimiller emphasized the focus of their efforts in that area.
This recent development marks the first public acknowledgment by the FBI that they are directing their search for Wedding to a specific location.
Wedding, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, who represented Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics, has been sought by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for ten years. Allegations against the 43-year-old include leading a criminal enterprise involved in the trafficking of large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine across North America.
Last year, Wedding was indicted by a grand jury in California on various charges, including murder, heading a continuous criminal operation, and scheming to export cocaine. He was subsequently added to the FBI’s top 10 most-wanted list in March, with the U.S. State Department offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest.
Previous suggestions by the FBI hinted that Wedding might be residing in Mexico, potentially under the protection of the infamous Sinaloa cartel, previously led by drug kingpin JoaquÃn “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Described as affluent, dangerous, and well-connected, Wedding has been seen in Mexico City in the past, utilizing multiple aliases such as Public Enemy, Giant, and “El Jefe” (The Boss). Records indicate that Wedding and his associate, fellow Canadian Andrew Clark, were observed meeting with an essential FBI informant at a Starbucks in Mexico City in January 2024.
Moreover, an analysis by CBC’s visual investigations unit determined that a photo of Wedding wearing a blue L.A. Dodgers cap in 2024 was captured near a hotel in Mexico City’s Sante Fe business district. This information was derived using open-source data and maps, with collaboration from independent researchers associated with the investigative journalism group Bellingcat.
The FBI’s latest campaign to gather tips on Wedding’s location, launched about a month ago, targets Facebook users in the state of Mexico with a wanted poster featuring Wedding’s photo and description in Spanish.
The efforts to locate Wedding have intensified, with Eimiller emphasizing the continuation of the search to generate additional leads.
In a recent development, FBI official Davis traveled to Ottawa to meet with RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme to discuss collaboration and joint operations against transnational organized crime.
The RCMP has characterized Wedding as a significant organized crime threat to Canada, even while on the run. Initial attempts by the RCMP to apprehend Wedding in 2015 during a probe into cocaine imports to Canada were unsuccessful, with Wedding managing to evade capture since then.
Accusations against Wedding and Clark include orchestrating multiple murders in Ontario, including the mistaken targeting of a couple from India. Clark, also known as “The Dictator,” was arrested in Mexico last year and subsequently extradited to the U.S., where he has pleaded not guilty to charges related to murder and drug trafficking.
Recently, a man from the Toronto area accused of serving as a courier for Wedding’s criminal network agreed to extradition to face charges in California.