Alleged drug kingpin and former Olympian Ryan Wedding arrested

Former Canadian skier and alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding has been arrested in Mexico and will be extradited to the United States after years on the run, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Wedding, who was once on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, was accused of running a transnational drug trafficking operation that transported tons of cocaine across borders.

Vidhi, 44, is also wanted for murder. U.S. officials have said they believe Wedding was living in Mexico and being protected by the Sinaloa drug cartel.

The head of the Canadian federal police force assisting the investigation spoke alongside Patel on Friday and praised the law enforcement action.

“No one agency or country can combat transnational organized crime alone,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme.

“We can finally say that with the arrest of Ryan Wedding, our community, our country, is a safer place,” he added.

Vidin is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.

Wedding is accused of running a large-scale drug trafficking operation, importing approximately 60 metric tons of cocaine each year.

The organization operates in countries across North America and Latin America and the Caribbean and is Canada’s largest supplier of cocaine, with annual revenue estimated at $1 billion.

Before his arrest, Wedding was accused of killing a federal witness in the case against him. Officials said he also ordered the murders of several others.

Weddings now faces a slew of felony charges, including witness tampering and intimidation, murder, money laundering and drug trafficking.

The FBI had previously offered a $15m (£11m) reward for information leading to his arrest. Patel declined to comment on whether anyone would receive the bonus.

U.S. officials have not released any information about how Wedding was arrested, other than to say he was arrested Thursday night in Mexico City.

The Associated Press quoted an unnamed member of Mexico’s security cabinet as saying that Wedding turned himself in at the U.S. Embassy.

Speaking at a news conference, Patel described Wedding as a “modern-day Pablo Escobar,” referring to the Colombian drug cartel leader. U.S. officials have also compared him to Mexico’s Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman.

“When you go after someone like Ryan Wedding, you need a united front,” said Patel, who thanked Canadian and Mexican authorities for their help in the investigation.

Wedding’s aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King” and “Jesse King,” the FBI said. He reportedly underwent plastic surgery to change his appearance while on the run.

Officials said he began his criminal career in 2011 after being released from a U.S. federal prison where he was serving time for distributing cocaine.

Authorities say he ordered dozens of murders around the world, including in the United States, Canada and Latin America.

Officials said he had been living a lavish life in Mexico. In December, Mexican authorities Announces seizure of $40 million racing motorcycle owned by Wedding. They also confiscated other valuables including luxury paintings, artwork, drugs and two Olympic gold medals.

It is unclear who the medals belong to. Vidin represented Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics but did not win any medals. He finished 24th in the men’s ski giant slalom.

In November, the FBI seized his rare 2002 Mercedes CLK-GTR, worth $13 million.

Patel also spoke about the recent arrest in Mexico of another man who was on the FBI’s most wanted list.

American man Alejandro Castillo is wanted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. According to the FBI, he has been hiding in Mexico for nearly 10 years and will be extradited back to North Carolina to face trial.