Longtime fugitive Ryan Wedding, accused of leading a cocaine-smuggling network associated with the Sinaloa cartel, attempted to halt his apprehension in Mexico’s Sinaloa state through a court order nearly a year before his recent capture by U.S. authorities. Legal records obtained by CBC News reveal that Wedding believed Mexican authorities were closing in on him in early 2025, as indicated in documents initially disclosed by Sinaloan news outlet Riodoce.
In a filing with a Mexican federal court in mid-February, Wedding stated under oath that state law enforcement had secured a warrant for his arrest and extradition while residing in Los Mochis, a coastal city in Sinaloa. This legal move coincided with an intensified FBI pursuit following the murder of a witness prepared to testify against him.
Following a $5 million US bounty allegedly placed by Wedding leading to the assassination of Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia in Medellin, Colombia, on Jan. 31, 2025, Wedding, aged 44, was apprehended in Mexico and transported to California. There, he faces 17 federal charges, including murder, drug trafficking, witness tampering, and money laundering, to which he has pled not guilty.
A federal judge in Sinaloa, in a ruling dated Nov. 4, 2025, dismissed Wedding’s plea for an injunction, citing lack of jurisdiction due to the arrest warrant originating from Mexico City. Although the ruling did not identify Wedding by name or disclose his Los Mochis address, a Mexican court docket identified him as Ryan James Wedding.
Wedding’s defense attorney, Anthony Colombo, acknowledged the court case, emphasizing the common use of an amparo in Mexico to challenge arrest warrants. Mexican authorities conducted raids on four properties linked to Wedding, resulting in the seizure of drugs, Canadian snowboarding medals, artwork, and approximately $40 million US worth of motorcycles in Mexico City.
The FBI, which listed Wedding among its 10 most-wanted fugitives last year, described him as a major drug trafficker shielded by the Sinaloa cartel, co-founded by El Chapo. Reports suggest Wedding’s ties to Los Chapitos, a faction of the cartel loyal to El Chapo’s sons. Wedding, a Thunder Bay, Ont., native, had been evading authorities in Mexico since around 2015, following initial efforts by the RCMP to arrest him in Montreal amid a cocaine smuggling probe in Canada.
Mexican authorities and the Los Angeles Police Department have highlighted Wedding’s significant role in drug distribution across North America. Wedding’s recent arrest has been deemed a pivotal development for public safety in Canada.