Ryan Wedding, ex-Olympian accused of running drug ring, pleads not guilty in California
Ryan Wedding, the former Canadian Olympic snowboarder now accused of running a multinational drug-trafficking ring and orchestrating the killing of a federal witness, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Santa Ana during a brief hearing on Monday, Jan. 26, days after his headline-grabbing capture.
His attorney strongly denied reports that Wedding surrendered to authorities in Mexico, but didn’t immediately challenge the government’s request to keep him in custody before trial.
Wedding, wearing a jail jumpsuit, appeared at ease during his first federal court appearance since his recent arrest, at times smiling and laughing as he spoke to his attorney prior to a magistrate judge taking the bench and stealing several long glances at the packed courtroom gallery. Wedding spoke little during the hearing before a federal magistrate judge, simply confirming he has read the two indictments he is facing, understands what the government alleges he did and understands his rights.
Outside the federal courthouse after the hearing, Wedding’s attorney, Anthony Colombo, repeatedly denied that Wedding turned himself in, a claim that has come up in reports apparently tied to authorities in Mexico. U.S. law enforcement authorities have not outlined the details of how Wedding’s time on the run came to an end.
“He didn’t surrender, he was apprehended,” Colombo said. “He was arrested. So any spin that the government in Mexico is putting on this — that he surrendered — is inaccurate.”
The defense attorney speculated that the claim that Wedding surrendered may have been related to diplomatic fallout from the United States’ recent capture during a military strike of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is now facing narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges in federal court in New York.
“The Trump administration with the apprehension of Maduro has made clear we are in a bold new era in regard to international relations,” Colombo said. “One can understand why that statement (that Wedding surrendered) might have been put out. Because if the U.S. government is unilaterally going into a sovereign country and apprehending somebody, you can understand the concern that sovereign entity might have.”
Colombo confirmed that Wedding was taken into custody in Mexico, but declined to provide further details.
“He is in good spirits,” Colombo said of Wedding’s demeanor. “He is a former Olympic athlete, which obviously takes a lot of mental toughness.”
Asked why he hadn’t argued for his client’s release on bond, Colombo said it has been a “whirlwind” for Wedding since he was taken into custody, and they hadn’t had time to prepare an argument for his potential release pending trial. During Monday’s hearing, Magistrate Judge John D. Early said that at the moment there appeared to be no conditions for supervised release of Wedding that would assure the safety of the community and his attendance at future court hearings.
Federal prosecutors did not comment after the hearing.
On Friday, Jan. 23, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the capture of Wedding, 44, during a news conference on the tarmac at Ontario International Airport. Wedding, Patel said, was taken into custody after a year-plus manhunt with U.S. investigators working with authorities in Mexico, Canada, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
Wedding was on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives list. Patel referred to him as the modern-day Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman or Pablo Escobar. Wedding was believed to have been hiding in Mexico for more than a decade, after previously being convicted in the United States for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In 2024, federal prosecutors charged Wedding with running a drug ring.
Colombo, Wedding’s attorney, said he disagreed with the claim by federal law enforcement that Wedding was “hiding out” in Mexico.
“I don’t know if that is the case,” Colombo said. “Hiding out and living somewhere are two different things. I would characterize it as living. The government can characterize it their way.”
The defense attorney also pushed back on the comparison of Wedding to El Chapo or Pablo Escobar.
“I think it is overstated,” Colombo said. “That is their spin.”
Under the suspected protection of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug rings, Wedding is accused of using semitrucks to move cocaine between Colombia, Mexico, Southern California and Canada — and orchestrating several killings. Authorities say he used aliases including “El Jefe,” “Public Enemy” and “James Conrad Kin.”
Federal authorities have declined to release details about the apprehension of Wedding, who was apparently taken into custody Thursday night in Mexico City, and then taken to the United States. There was a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest or capture.
In November, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an indictment alleging that Wedding had overseen the killing of a witness in Colombia to avoid being extradited to the United States. Wedding and co-conspirators posted a photograph of the witness on a Canadian website called The Dirty News, authorities alleged. The witness was shot in the head at a restaurant in Medellin last year.
Federal authorities say three dozen other people have been arrested in connection to Wedding’s drug ring. The investigation has led to the seizure of large volumes of drugs, weapons and cash as well as millions of dollars in cars, motorcycles, artwork and jewelry that allegedly belonged to Wedding and others.
Wedding also faces separate drug-trafficking charges in Canada dating back to 2015.
In 2002, Wedding competed for his home country in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in a men’s snowboarding event, parallel giant slalom. He finished 24th.
Wedding’s case was re-assigned during Monday’s hearing from the magistrate judge in Santa Ana to a federal judge in Los Angeles. A jury trial was tentatively scheduled for late March, but Wedding’s attorney said it was unlikely to happen until later in the year at the earliest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.