Seven Canadians charged in U.S. drug probe linked to ex-Olympian

WASHINGTON — Seven Canadians have been arrested for extradition to the United States in relation to a drug trafficking probe involving Ryan Wedding, a former Team Canada Olympian-turned-fugitive.

“Our work is not done. Fugitive Ryan Wedding remains one of the top threats to Canadian public safety,” said RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington Wednesday.

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Duheme joined U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and other American officials to announce the charges and the ongoing efforts to take Wedding into custody.

Duheme said Canadians in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta were taken into custody this week. One of the Canadians arrested was a lawyer, who U.S officials alleged provided illicit advice to Wedding.

U.S. indictments for Wedding’s arrest allege he conspired to bring bulk amounts of cocaine into the United States and Canada. It alleges Wedding was also involved in violence and murder to maintain his drug ring.

The indictments allege he was involved in the January 2025 murder of a U.S. federal witness in Colombia.

“This guy is responsible for a tremendous amount of that horror,” Bondi said.

Wedding is believed to be hiding in Mexico and the U.S. State Department has increased the reward for information leading to the his arrest to USD $15 million.

U.S. officials allege that Wedding is working with Mexican cartels.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2025.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press