The FBI Is Offering a $15 Million Reward for the Capture of Former Olympian Ryan Wedding

As David said in the Bible, "Oh, how the mighty have fallen." He was describing King Saul and his own friend Jonathan, both of whom were killed in battle. That turn of phrase has since evolved into a reference to one's fall from grace. There are plenty of examples of once good and decent people who ended up doing very bad things. Sometimes that saying is applied to a massively successful person who lost everything through every fault of their own.

Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding is someone who seemingly had it all, but through numerous terrible decisions, became the worst version of himself. Wedding faces charges from the U.S. Department of Justice who allege he is the "largest distributor of cocaine," per ABC News. A manhunt is currently underway for Wedding. Here is the latest update.

According to the CBC, Wedding has been on the run since 2015. Following the November 2025 arrest of 10 defendants connected to Wedding, the Department of Justice increased the reward for information leading to the ex-Olympian's arrest. They are not offering $15 million to anyone who can aid in Wedding's capture.

The DOJ believes the 44-year-old is currently living in Mexico. First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California said in a statement that the recent arrests underscore their "resolve to root out and punish the wrongdoers involved in this criminal organization and serve as a warning for drug lord Ryan Wedding." If he is convicted, Wedding will "never see the outside of a prison ever again."

FBI Director Kash Patel praised the accomplishments of the Bureau, saying the multiple arrests were a culmination of their work alongside partners around the world who strive to "identify and dismantle violent gang and drug organizations." Patel went on to say the FBI will use its resources and expertise to bring Wedding to justice.

Two pictures of Wedding from 2024 are included on his FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive poster. We do not know where the photographs were taken, but as previously stated, Wedding is believed to be residing in Mexico. Authorities think he is under the protection of the Sinaloa drug cartel.

Wedding is wanted for "allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking network that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in furtherance of these drug crimes," per the FBI.

Wedding has been charged with the murder of a witness who was shot five times in the head while at a restaurant in Colombia, reports ABC News. The incident occurred in January 2025. "Wedding placed a bounty on the victim's head in the erroneous belief that the victim's death would result in the dismissal of criminal charges against him and his international drug trafficking ring and would further ensure that he was not extradited to the United States," said Essayli during a press briefing.