The former Olympic athlete faces charges of cocaine trafficking and murder in the United States.

On Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied that Canadian drug trafficker and former Olympic athlete Ryan Wedding was captured by United States forces, asserting that he surrendered voluntarily at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.

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She emphasized that there are no joint security operations between Mexico and Washington, clarified that there is only information sharing, and that agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) respect Mexican constitutional limitations.

The Mexican president explained that Wedding decided to surrender after remaining in hiding in Mexico for more than a decade and seeking a fair trial, which he himself confirmed in a social media post.

While FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned a bilateral operation, his statements were denied by Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexican Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, and Ronald Johnson, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

Ryan Wedding faces charges of cocaine trafficking and murder in the United States, where he was one of the most wanted fugitives, with a reward increased from US$10 million to US$15 million in 2025.

He represented Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City before becoming the leader of a transnational criminal organization.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi identified him as responsible for trafficking tens of tons of cocaine each year into the United States and Canada, allegedly from Colombia via Mexico.

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

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