Former Olympic Snowboarder Arrested in Crypto-Related Case
U.S. authorities have arrested former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, ending a years-long international manhunt for a figure investigators describe as a major cocaine trafficker who relied on cryptocurrencies to process and hide illegal profits. Wedding, 44, was taken into custody in Mexico and extradited to the United States, where he will face charges related to drug trafficking, murder, and running a criminal enterprise in multiple countries.
Background and Charges
Wedding, who competed for Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, was named one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives and had a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest. According to U.S. officials, Wedding played a leading role in cocaine distribution networks linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, overseeing shipments from Colombia to the United States and Canada. The operation allegedly brought in over $1 billion in illicit revenue annually.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Wedding must be charged in the U.S. with drug trafficking, murder, and running a criminal enterprise in multiple countries. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Wedding in November, accusing his organization of using cryptocurrencies to transfer and launder drug profits.
Cryptocurrency-Related Crime
The arrest comes as cryptocurrency-related crime continues to be a growing problem. According to Chainalysis, illicit cryptocurrency addresses received a record $154 billion in 2025, a sharp increase from the previous year. In a separate case, U.S. prosecutors have charged a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, Ronald Spektor, with stealing about $16 million in cryptocurrency from around 100 Coinbase users through an alleged phishing and social engineering scheme.
Wedding’s arrest is a significant development in the fight against cryptocurrency-related crime. As the use of digital assets continues to grow, law enforcement agencies are working to stay ahead of criminals who seek to exploit these technologies for illicit purposes. The case highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational organized crime and the need for continued vigilance in the face of evolving threats.
For more information on this case and the latest developments in cryptocurrency-related crime, visit https://cryptonews.com/news/fbi-arrests-former-olympic-snowboarder-and-top-cocaine-trafficker-in-crypto-linked-case/
