After allegedly being involved in ordering killings of rival drug dealers and an FBI informant, Ryan Wedding, a suspected cocaine kingpin on the run, might now be considering cooperating with authorities. Speculation arose about Wedding’s potential collaboration with the FBI following a statement by Mexico’s security minister, Omar García Harfuch, who mentioned that a Canadian resembling Wedding had turned himself in to U.S. officials at the embassy.
Wedding, originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, had been listed as one of the FBI’s top 10 fugitives and was described by the agency’s director as a major drug trafficker. An article in Vanity Fair, shared by the FBI director, disclosed that Wedding was apprehended by Mexican authorities before being handed over to the U.S. following negotiations with the FBI.
Brett Kalina, a former FBI supervisory special agent, suggested that Wedding might have incentives to cooperate with investigators to improve his situation. Kalina, who had a history with the case, arrested Wedding in 2008 for attempting to purchase cocaine for a Vancouver-based criminal group. Wedding reportedly established crucial criminal connections while in U.S. federal prison, including with Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a Montreal-born drug trafficker who later became an FBI informant and was fatally shot.
Facing charges related to murder, drug trafficking, and witness tampering, Wedding is set to appear before a federal judge in Los Angeles and could potentially receive a life sentence if convicted. However, Kalina hinted that there might be room for negotiation if Wedding agrees to provide information on global drug trafficking activities.
Wedding’s criminal enterprise, as per authorities, trafficked around 60 tons of cocaine annually into southern California, distributing it to various locations in the U.S. and Canada. The RCMP highlighted Wedding’s involvement in a vast drug smuggling network that extended to methamphetamine and heroin trafficking. Additionally, there are pending charges against Wedding in Montreal linked to a cocaine importation conspiracy.
U.S. investigators are likely keen to learn about Wedding’s connections with Mexican officials and high-ranking individuals. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned several individuals associated with Wedding, including a Mexican national known as “the General,” who allegedly provided protection for Wedding in Mexico.
Wedding’s downfall was precipitated by informants within his circle, including Acebedo-Garcia and another unnamed individual who collaborated with the FBI. Despite his arrest, it remains uncertain whether Wedding has cooperated with authorities thus far.
