S39 E2: The Boss | The Most Wanted Olympian
Summary
This episode of The Most Wanted Olympian details the 2008 arrest of former snowboarder Ryan Wedding by the FBI for cocaine trafficking. It covers his defiant trial, prison time at the violent Reeves County Detention Center, and his release in 2011. The narrative then follows his post-release life, revealing his deepening ties to the Sinaloa cartel and his involvement in Operation Harrington. The episode concludes with Wedding slipping away from authorities during the 2015 arrests, leaving his current whereabouts unknown.
Topics discussed
Introduction to The Debaters and The Most Wanted Olympian
Background on Reeves County prison riots and Ryan Wedding
Episode 2 title card: The Boss
FBI investigation and identification of Ryan Wedding
The arrest and initial interrogation of Wedding
Wedding's behavior in jail and interactions with women
Learning the ropes in federal pretrial custody
CBC Ideas podcast promotion
The trial, defense strategy, and guilty verdict
Sentencing and Wedding's statement to the court
Life in Reeves County and potential cartel contacts
Investigating Wedding's prison marriage and release
Post-release activities and bankruptcy filing
Operation Harrington and connections to Sinaloa cartel
The 2015 arrests and Wedding's disappearance
Credits and production team acknowledgments
Outro and subscription information
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