Ontario native Ryan Wedding, an alleged major cocaine trafficker, played no role in the intelligence that led Mexican forces to kill cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, his lawyer maintains. Speculation arose online due to the timing: El Mencho’s death came exactly one month after authorities captured Wedding in Mexico and extradited him to the United States.

No Connection Between Arrests

“There is zero connection between Mr. Wedding and the action yesterday,” stated Anthony Colombo, Wedding’s California-based attorney. Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder from Thunder Bay, faces U.S. federal charges of murder and drug trafficking. He pleaded not guilty shortly after his January arrest in Mexico and transfer to California.

Mexican officials located El Mencho following a tip from an associate of one of his romantic partners, aided by U.S. intelligence. Both men topped priority lists during the Trump administration, each carrying a $15 million U.S. reward for capture information.

Wedding’s Drug Empire

Authorities describe Wedding, 44, as a key logistics operator who smuggled 60 tonnes of cocaine annually across North America, holding a dominant position in Canada’s cocaine supply. While protected by the Sinaloa cartel—once led by Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán—Wedding’s network showed occasional overlaps with El Mencho’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Wedding’s associate, Canadian Andrew Clark, managed logistics for both Sinaloa and CJNG, according to Mexico’s security minister Omar García Harfuch. Clark, arrested in Mexico in October 2024 with INTERPOL and navy involvement, later cooperated with the FBI in investigations targeting Wedding.

Links to Major Seizures

Investigators question ties between Wedding’s operations and ‘Project Castillo,’ a Toronto police seizure of 835 kilograms of cocaine valued at $83 million, bearing hallmarks of CJNG. The drugs targeted distribution across Canada.

Luis Nájera, a Toronto-based crime analyst from Mexico, warns that such large busts often trigger retaliatory killings by CJNG. “When this kind of seizure happens, there’s people who have to pay for that,” he explained. “And usually payment is basically, your life.”

Cocaine Prices Set to Rise in Canada

Police in major Canadian cities anticipate a cocaine price surge following El Mencho’s elimination. Toronto’s kilogram price currently ranges from $21,000 to $26,000, but spokesperson Ashley Visser predicts an uptick due to Mexican developments.

In Montreal, prices hit $33,000 per kilogram after Wedding’s arrest before settling at $21,000. Spokesperson Samantha Velandia notes that price swings affect quality: purer product at lower prices, diluted with additives when costs climb, increasing dangers for users.

Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree views disruptions to transnational crime positively. “Any type of reduction in the capacity of transnational organized crime networks to be able to do their trade is important,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s short lived.”