Ryan Wedding, former Olympian pleads not guilty to drug ring charges: What was his defense?
Ryan Wedding was arrested last week on Thursday, January 22, in Mexico
January 27, 2026
A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder pleaded not guilty to charges of running a billion-dollar drug trafficking ring and orchestrating multiple killings during his first court appearance on Monday, January 26, 2026.
Ryan Wedding was arrested last week on Thursday, January 22, in Mexico, announced by the FBI Director Kash Patel in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
According to the U.S. authorities, Ryan Wedding had been hiding in Mexico for over a decade.
The FBI placed him on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list last March, when the FBI set a head money of $15 million for providing information that helped to capture Mexican drug kingpin Ryan Wedding.
Officials alleged that Wedding relocated as much as 60 tons of cocaine between Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and the Southern U.S. and believe he was operating under the umbrella of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords.
As per the details of his indictment filed in Mexico, alongside 2015 drug charges, Wedding’s trafficking group was the largest exporter of cocaine to Canada.
What was Ryan Wedding's defense in court?
Ryan Wedding arrived in court wearing a tan jail jumpsuit with his ankles chained.
Following a brief, faint smile, then he grew serious as he sat back, pressed hands together, and turned his attention to the papers shared with his attorney.
When asked by U.S. Magistrate John D. Early if he read the indictments filed against him, Wedding responded, “I’ve read them both, yes.”
The judge ordered him held in custody, saying he could not immediately find conditions that would ensure public safety or Wedding’s appearance in court.
In 2024, Ryan Wedding was formally indicted on federal charges of running a criminal enterprise, murder, conspiring to distribute cocaine, and other crimes.
Just last year, Wedding was indicted on fresh charges of masterminding the killing of a witness in Colombia to help him avoid extradition to the U.S.
Now the next hearing of this high-profile case is set to take place on February 11, with a trial date fixed for March 24, 2026.
