In legal records obtained by CBC News, it was revealed that Ryan Wedding, a long-time fugitive accused of leading a cocaine-smuggling network associated with the Sinaloa cartel, attempted to prevent his arrest in Mexico’s Sinaloa state almost a year prior to his recent apprehension by U.S. authorities. The records, initially reported by Sinaloan news organization Riodoce, indicate that Wedding believed Mexican law enforcement was closing in on him in early 2025.
Wedding, a Canadian national, filed a claim in a Mexican federal court in mid-February, stating under oath that local authorities had secured a warrant for his arrest and extradition. This development occurred shortly after the FBI intensified its pursuit of Wedding following the murder of a key witness set to testify against him.
The legal documents further revealed that Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, a drug trafficker born in Montreal, was fatally shot in Medellin, Colombia, on January 31, 2025, allegedly due to a bounty placed on him by Wedding. Subsequently, Wedding, aged 44, was apprehended in Mexico and transported to California to face 17 federal charges, including murder, drug trafficking, witness tampering, and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Despite Wedding’s efforts to obtain an injunction to prevent his arrest, a federal judge in Sinaloa ruled on November 4, 2025, that he lacked jurisdiction over the case due to the issuance of the arrest warrant by authorities in Mexico City. The ruling, which CBC News reviewed, identified Wedding by his full name, Ryan James Wedding, but withheld his Los Mochis home address.
According to Wedding’s defense attorney Anthony Colombo, the use of an amparo in Mexico to suppress an arrest warrant is a common legal tactic. However, the Mexican judge overseeing the case noted conflicting statements from the Sinaloa public safety director regarding the existence of the arrest warrant.
Mexican authorities recently conducted raids on properties linked to Wedding in Mexico City, resulting in the seizure of various items, including drugs, Canadian snowboarding medals, artwork, and motorcycles valued at $40 million US. Wedding’s alleged second-in-command, Andrew Clark, also utilized an amparo to secure his release after an arrest in October 2024 but was subsequently rearrested and transferred to U.S. custody.
The FBI, which added Wedding to its top 10 most-wanted list in March, described him as a significant narco trafficker protected by the Sinaloa cartel. Mexican security experts revealed Wedding’s affiliation with Los Chapitos, a faction of the cartel associated with El Chapo’s sons. The RCMP initiated efforts to arrest Wedding in Montreal in 2015 amid an investigation into cocaine imports to Canada, with U.S. authorities asserting that the Thunder Bay native had been residing in Mexico since then.
In response to claims of hiding, Colombo insisted that Wedding was simply “living” in Mexico, emphasizing varying interpretations of the situation. Mexican Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos characterized Wedding as a crucial link in drug distribution across North America.
The recent arrest of Wedding was hailed by the RCMP as a significant development in enhancing public safety in Canada.