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Ryan Wedding Arrest: Inside the Secret Negotiations and Cartel Betrayal That Ended a Decade on the Run
The most explosive revelation centres on Ryan Wedding’s alleged loss of cartel protection. He was operating in Mexico City under the protection of Los Chapitos, the Sinaloa cartel faction loyal to the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
The dramatic arrest of Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged cocaine kingpin, was not a sudden takedown, but the culmination of quiet negotiations, cartel infighting, and mounting pressure from U.S. and Mexican authorities.
According to Mexican security analyst David Saucedo, U.S. officials had been in contact with Wedding days before he voluntarily surrendered at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City on Thursday night. The surrender ended more than a decade on the run for one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives.
FBI Negotiations Behind Closed Doors
David Saucedo says discussions between Wedding and U.S. authorities were already underway when FBI Director Kash Patel made a surprise trip to Mexico City. The timing, he argues, was no coincidence.
“These negotiations were established several days ago,” David Saucedo said, adding that Kash Patel’s visit was planned to coincide with the surrender and underscore the arrest as a major victory for U.S. law enforcement.
Kash Patel later confirmed that Mexican and U.S. agencies worked “hand in glove” on the ground, while declining to share operational details. In a separate interview, he described Ryan Wedding’s apprehension as the result of an “intense negotiation” involving the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team.
Ryan Wedding – former Canadian Olympic snowboarder
Silence from Mexican Officials — A Political Courtesy?
While the arrest made international headlines, Mexico’s Security Minister Omar García Harfuch conspicuously avoided mentioning Ryan Wedding during a lengthy public appearance alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum the following day.
David Saucedo believes the silence was intentional. “It was a political courtesy,” he said, suggesting Mexican officials deferred public credit to Kash Patel rather than overshadow the FBI director’s announcement.
Mexican authorities later confirmed only that a Canadian national had surrendered at the U.S. embassy, without elaborating further.
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Betrayed by the Sinaloa Cartel
The most explosive revelation centres on Ryan Wedding’s alleged loss of cartel protection. Saucedo claims Wedding had been operating in Mexico City under the protection of Los Chapitos — the Sinaloa cartel faction loyal to the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
“For reasons still unknown, Los Chapitos pulled their backing,” Saucedo said, leaving Wedding exposed and vulnerable to assassination.
The withdrawal reportedly placed Wedding in the crosshairs of rival cartel figures aligned with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, amid a brutal internal war within the Sinaloa cartel sparked by betrayals in 2024.
“That was Ryan’s problem,” David Saucedo added. “He trusted excessively in Los Chapitos — and betrayal is how they survive.”
Why Ryan Wedding Chose to Surrender
As Mexican and U.S. authorities closed in — seizing luxury motorcycles, artwork, and even Olympic medals in December raids — Wedding’s options dwindled. Facing threats from former allies and tightening law enforcement pressure, surrendering to U.S. authorities may have been his safest exit.
“The cartel got rid of Ryan to protect its routes and networks,” Saucedo said. “Now Los Chapitos keep the empire he left behind.”
