Bold claim: Two new photos of Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding reveal a strikingly different look, underscoring how easily a shape-shifter can evade pursuit. But here’s where it gets controversial: how reliable are these images, and what do they really prove about his location or methods of disguise? This rewritten summary preserves every key detail from the original while clarifying context for newcomers.
U.S. authorities released two additional photos of Ryan Wedding, the Canadian fugitive at the center of a sprawling international drug operation, as the FBI escalates its manhunt. The agency describes one image as a “newly obtained” view of Wedding, 44, shown shirtless in bed with a prominent lion tattoo on his chest. This photo is believed to have been captured in Mexico during the summer, according to a post from the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
Separately, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico published what appears to be an older photo of Wedding wearing a green T-shirt and sporting a shaved head. Officials have not immediately clarified when or where the driver’s license or passport-style photo was taken.
Wedding, who competed as a snowboarder for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah, was added to the FBI’s list of the 10 most-wanted fugitives earlier this year. The reward for information leading to his arrest was raised last month to $15 million USD, up from $10 million.
Authorities accuse Wedding of running a violent criminal network that ships large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin from Mexico and South America to Los Angeles, with onward destinations in the United States and Canada. FBI Director Kash Patel has described Wedding as the modern-day successor to infamous drug lords Pablo Escobar and Joaquin
El Chapo Guzmán.
The FBI asserts Wedding operates under the protection of the Sinaloa cartel, believed to shield him while he remains in Mexico.
New photos illustrate two markedly different appearances: one showing a shaved, balding head in an older image, and another with a full head of hair captured earlier this year. The bed photo is potentially the first released image either taken by Wedding himself or by someone very close to him. Previously released 2024 photos appeared to have been shot from a distance without Wedding’s knowledge.
In each case, the FBI has withheld details about where or how these pictures were obtained. CBC News’ visual investigations unit confirmed that a 2024 image depicting Wedding in a blue cap and white T-shirt was likely taken in Mexico City’s Santa Fe business district.
Last month, Akil Davis, the FBI’s Los Angeles assistant director in charge, stated that Wedding could alter his appearance, including hair color, to dodge capture. The FBI has even suggested the possibility of plastic surgery.
Wedding stands at about 6 feet 3 inches tall and is estimated to weigh between 230 and 250 pounds. Investigators note he has used multiple aliases, such as James Conrad King, Jesse King, Public Enemy, Giant, Grande, Mexi, and “El Jefe.”
Davis emphasized that someone with Wedding’s profile is likely to stand out in Mexico, urging the public to assist in identification and capture. A new online video from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico calls on the public to provide tips about his whereabouts.
The case alleges Wedding ordered numerous murders globally, including the November 2023 shooting of an innocent Indian couple in Caledon, Ontario, initially mistaken for involvement in a stolen cocaine shipment.
In related developments, Wedding and several associates face charges tied to the January murder of Medellín-based witness Jonathan Acebedo-García in Colombia. Court documents indicate Wedding viewed Acebedo-García as a “rat” and placed a $5 million bounty on his head. A Toronto-area lawyer connected to Wedding and a crime blogger are also charged with aiding Wedding in planning the assassination.
As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities seized a rare Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster in Miami, valued at about $13 million. The vehicle, believed to be one of only six ever built, was reportedly purchased by a Toronto jeweler accused of acting as a key money launderer for Wedding.
CBC News will continue following this high-profile international investigation. For more details, readers are encouraged to review official FBI and embassy statements as updates develop.
