U.S. Olympic Snowboarder Called Modern Pablo Escobar Pleads Not Guilty

Ryan Wedding walked into a California courtroom Monday with the confidence of someone who once competed on the world’s biggest stage.

The former Olympic snowboarder pleaded not guilty to charges that FBI Director Kash Patel says make him a modern-day Pablo Escobar.

Wedding’s attorney, Anthony Colombo, told reporters that his client was “in good spirits and doing well” after the arraignment. The 44-year-old Canadian athlete faces multiple drug conspiracy counts and four murder charges connected to what authorities call a billion-dollar cocaine trafficking empire.

FBI officials arrested Wedding in Mexico City last week after he spent nearly a year on the bureau’s Ten Most Wanted list.

The $15 million bounty on his head reflected the scope of allegations against the man who represented Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

“He went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco-trafficker in modern times,” Patel said at a news conference. “He is a modern-day El Chapo, he is a modern-day Pablo Escobar, and he thought he could evade justice.”

The timing carries extra weight as the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina approach.

Competition begins February 4 with curling events, just days before the opening ceremony on February 6.

Prosecutors allege Wedding built his criminal enterprise after serving prison time for a 2008 cocaine trafficking conviction. Court documents claim he partnered with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel to move 60 metric tons of cocaine through Southern California into the United States and Canada.

The alleged operation generated billions in revenue while leaving a trail of violence across multiple countries. Wedding stands accused of orchestrating murders of witnesses and rivals, including placing bounties on targets.

One victim was a federal witness scheduled to testify against Wedding’s organization. Authorities say the witness was fatally shot at a restaurant after Wedding’s associates tracked him down using online resources.

The defendant waived his right to have both indictments read aloud in court. He entered separate not-guilty pleas to each set of charges before Judge Patricia Donahue in the Central District of California.

Mystery surrounds exactly how Wedding ended up in custody. His lawyer contradicted earlier reports by stating that Wedding did not surrender voluntarily.

Colombo told reporters Wedding was “apprehended by authorities in Mexico City” rather than turning himself in as some officials initially suggested.

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