• Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, has been arrested in Mexico.
• He is accused of leading a billion-dollar cocaine trafficking organization connected to the Sinaloa Cartel.
• Wedding allegedly ordered the assassination of a federal witness and participated in multiple murders.
• The FBI has described him as a modern-day El Chapo or Pablo Escobar.
• His arrest follows intensified extradition efforts by Mexico amid U.S. pressure.

Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, has been arrested in Mexico on charges related to his alleged role as the leader of a multibillion-dollar drug trafficking organization. Wedding is listed on the FBI's "Top 10 Most Wanted" fugitives and is linked to extensive cocaine smuggling operations between Colombia, Mexico, and North America, according to latimes and reuters.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest, highlighting that Wedding allegedly generated over $1 billion annually in illegal drug proceeds while coordinating closely with the Sinaloa Cartel. Patel characterized Wedding as a significant threat, akin to notorious drug lords like Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Pablo Escobar, according to reuters and aljazeera.

Wedding is facing numerous charges including drug trafficking and murder, with prosecutors alleging he hired assassins to eliminate witnesses and rivals. One witness was reportedly killed following Wedding's order to silence him before testifying in a federal narcotics case, highlighting the violent lengths to which he and his organization would go, according to latimes and aljazeera.

His arrest reflects a broader trend of expedited extraditions of cartel members from Mexico to the U.S., spurred by diplomatic pressures amid increasing drug-related crime in North America. This shift indicates a growing response to international demands for justice in drug trafficking cases, as noted by reuters and aljazeera.