Arrest of Suspect Linked to Ryan Wedding’s Alleged Drug Operation

The FBI announced that a major suspect in the alleged drug ring associated with former Olympic athlete Ryan Wedding was arrested Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

Wedding, a former prominent snowboarder, has drawn comparisons to infamous drug lords like Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman and Pablo Escobar. Authorities claim he collaborated with Canadian Tommy DeMorigi to identify and ultimately murder federal witnesses.

DeMorigi, 35, from Montreal, was thought to be in hiding in the Dominican Republic when a warrant for his arrest was issued late last year.

Upon arriving in Newark, he was quickly apprehended by FBI and U.S. Customs officials.

This arrest follows Wedding’s own apprehension in Mexico, where he was sent back to the U.S. to face drug trafficking and murder charges.

After finishing 24th in the men’s snowboarding event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Wedding reportedly transitioned into a life of crime.

Federal prosecutors allege he trafficked 60 tons of cocaine across Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., operating with the Sinaloa cartel’s protection. Disturbingly, he is also believed to have ordered several killings, including that of Jonathan Acevedo Garcia, a U.S. witness murdered in Colombia last January prior to his testimony against Wedding.

DeMorigi is said to have aided in locating the witness. Wedding is charged with the killing of two Canadian families in retaliation for drug smuggling and was also involved in orchestrating a murder in 2024 regarding a drug debt.

The disgraced athlete, who managed to evade capture for over a decade, recently appeared in court in California and pleaded not guilty. Following his arrest, FBI Director Kash Patel labeled him as one of the “greatest drug traffickers of our time,” likening him to notable figures like “El Chapo” and Escobar.