Niamh Shackleton
The FBI have released a new photo of Ryan Wedding amid their search for the former Olympic snowboarder.
Wedding represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and came in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom.
20 years on from his time on the slopes, and it's safe to say that things have drastically changed for Wedding, as he's landed himself on the FBI's most wanted list.
The former snowboarder is wanted in connection with an alleged drug trafficking scheme and has been branded a 'modern-day Pablo Escobar' by authorities.
Advert
FBI Director Kash Patel said at a press conference last month: "Make no mistake about it: Ryan Wedding is a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar. He’s a modern-day iteration of ‘El Chapo’ Guzman."
"This Justice Department and the FBI will work with our Canadian counterparts and the government officials across the world to bring him to justice," Patel continued.
"He is responsbile for engineering a narco-trafficking and narco-terrorism program that we have not seen in a long time."
The agency is offering a $15 million bounty for Wedding's arrest.
The 44-year-old is said to be hiding out somewhere in Mexico, and authorities have now released a new photo of Wedding, believed to have been taken in the country over the summer.
The photo shows Wedding lying in bed in an apparent selfie. The picture shows a large lion tattoo on his left pec.
According to an FBI release, Wedding is described as 240 pounds, 6ft 3 in tall, with brown hair and blue eyes.
It continues to say of the Olympian: "Ryan James Wedding is wanted for allegedly running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada, and other locations in the United States.
"Additionally, it is alleged that Wedding was involved in orchestrating multiple murders in furtherance of these drug crimes."
One of the alleged killings he supposedly orchestrated was that of a government witness who was living in Colombia at the time. This individual was shot and killed in a restaurant in Medellin in January.
People who believe they may have information on Wedding and his whereabouts are urged to contact the FBI via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram (neither government-operated nor government-controlled platforms) at (424) 495-0614.
You can also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.