Ryan Wedding WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department announced a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the former Canadian Olympic favourite, as the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against him and his purported network, ratcheting up an international search. The two moves are designed to generate leads and cut off financing, officials said on Nov. 19, 2025.
The reward was announced in a State Department reward notice published on Wednesday. It also builds on previous offers under the Narcotics Rewards Program and represents an increase over previous amounts as investigators pursue new leads.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control blocked Wedding, along with nine people and nine entities, in a move intended to cut off access to the U.S. financial system. “We are shining a light on the network of friends and associates who have enabled these deeply corrupt Russian actors to spread their wealth and influence.” Under Secretary John K. Hurley said in a Treasury press release.
The man, Ryan Wedding, 44, was added to the F.B.I.’s Ten Most Wanted list in March. He was wanted on a multitrillion-dollar cocaine pipeline across the nation and at large for countless homicides, the F.B.I.’s Los Angeles Field Office said, quoting an F.B.I. notice from March 2025.
The case took off last year when federal prosecutors in Los Angeles unveiled a superseding indictment charging bulk cocaine shipments from Colombia through Mexico to the United States and Canada, as well as murders associated with the enterprise. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California described the details.
Earlier coverage emphasised how vast the investigation was when it began to come into public view. That network was suspected of smuggling in large amounts of cocaine, authorities would later claim, and The Associated Press reported the cross-border probe and early rewards in October 2024.
By early 2025, more in-depth features traced his journey from snowboarder to fugitive. A Rolling Stone profile described the evolution of Ryan Wedding, his associates, and tactics, providing context for law enforcement allegations repeated in court filings and official statements.
Police said Wedding could be using fake names and identity documents while on the run. Meanwhile, tips regarding the $15 million reward are to run through the official channels outlined in a State Department notice, as efforts are ramped up to expand the search for Wedding under pressure from recently intensified financial and legal heat.
