FBI takes down deadly ‘764’ network including alleged affiliate preying on 11-year-olds

The FBI has intensified its effort across the U.S. to take down the online child-exploitation group, “764” network, with two recent examples highlighted by FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.

In a post shared on X on Wednesday, Bongino revealed how the dangerous network has infiltrated online spaces popular with minors and said how aggressively federal authorities are moving to shut it down.

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“For those who may not know, the 764 Network is a heinous child-exploitation ring that often targets children online and coerces them into acts of violence, self-harm, animal abuse, suicide, and sexual abuse,” Bongino warned.

“At the beginning of the year, our teams redoubled efforts to go after these networks and eliminate them. We have more than 300 investigations connected to this network nationwide, and that number is growing. It is a top priority for us,” he added.

Among the latest cases, Bongino said agents from FBI Baltimore arrested an individual on charges of targeting five minors, including a 13-year-old. 

He said the suspect is now in federal custody, and additional details are expected as the investigation develops.

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Meanwhile, in Arizona, an indictment revealed an individual in federal custody had been found allegedly targeting kids as an affiliate of “764.”

“The nine victims involved were between 11 and 15 years old,” Bongino explained, “Some of the allegations include distributing child pornography, cyberstalking, animal crushing, and even conspiring to provide material support to terrorists,” Bongino said.

The “764” network traces back to 2021, when it was founded by Bradley “Felix” Cadenhead, a Texas teenager who operated a group called CVLT.

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Named after the ZIP code of Cadenhead’s hometown, “764” now exists within a broader ecosystem of violent online communities known as “The COM.”

Members allegedly use popular online preteen and teen platforms such as Discord, Telegram and Roblox to recruit and manipulate minors.

“I cannot emphasize this enough, this is a major issue in America that not enough people know about,” Bongino warned.

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“We are asking all parents to please be on guard, check in with your kids and monitor their internet usage. Consider safeguards that limit what these networks can access.”

In the meantime, Bongino said the FBI will “keep working day and night to destroy this network. It is a top priority. We are making progress, but the work isn’t done.”

Trump’s core supporters turn on him as Americans feel unprecedented economic pain

Unhappy with the economy. Pain with prices. Unsure about Trump administration policies. It adds up to high disapproval among the president’s loyal constituencies.

Here are six takeaways from the latest Fox News national survey.

— Some 76% of voters view the economy negatively. That’s worse than the 67% who felt that way in July, and the 70% who said the same at the end of former President Biden’s term.

— Large numbers, overall and among Republicans, say their costs for groceries, utilities, healthcare, and housing have gone up this year.

— Voters blame the president. About twice as many say President Donald Trump, rather than Biden, is responsible for the current economy. And three times as many say Trump’s economic policies have hurt them (note, they said the same about Biden’s last year). Plus, approval of how Trump is handling the economy hit a new low, and disapproval of his overall job performance hit record highs among core supporters.

— After the government shutdown, the GOP and the Democratic Party have lower favorable ratings, and roughly 6 in 10 say the president and lawmakers on both sides don’t care about people like them.

— Voters think Republicans have a better plan for border security, immigration, and crime, while Democrats are seen as better on affordability, wages, healthcare, and climate.

— Views are divided on Trump’s peace deals making the world safer and the administration’s strategy for dealing with alleged drug-traffickers.

Here are the numbers behind those findings.

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Trump’s job performance garners career-high disapproval among men, White voters, and those without a college degree.

Eighty-six percent of Republicans approve, down from 92% in March. 

Among all voters, 41% approve of the job Trump is doing, while 58% disapprove. Only once have his ratings been lower and that was during his first term: 38-57% in October 2017. Two months ago, it was 46-54%. 

For comparison, Biden’s marks were a bit better at the same point in his presidency: 44% approved and 54% disapproved in November 2021.

Forty percent of voters rate their personal finances as excellent/good, while 60% say only fair/poor, which is about where things stood a year ago. Ratings are notably bad (roughly 70% negative), among non-college voters, Hispanics, Blacks, independents, and those under age 45. For those with household income below $50K, fully 79% rate their finances negatively

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When it comes to the national economy versus personal finances, evaluations are also negative, as most say conditions are only fair/poor (76%), and fewer than one in five thinks inflation is completely/mostly under control (18%). 

Compared to a year ago, voters say costs have increased for utilities (78%), healthcare (67%), housing (66%), and gasoline (54%). It’s 85% who say their groceries went up this year, including 60% who say costs increased “a lot.” Majorities of Republicans agree with majorities of Democrats and independents that costs have gone up on each of these items except gas. 

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At the end of Biden’s term, voters said by a wide 30-point margin that his economic policies had done more to hurt than help their family, driven by three-quarters of Republicans saying they had been harmed. The new survey shows almost identical results, as voters say by a 31-point margin that Trump’s economic policies have hurt rather than helped them, driven by the three-quarters of Democrats saying they have been harmed. In December 2018, during his first term, only 21% overall said they had been hurt by Trump’s policies, including just one-third of Democrats. 

By a nearly 2-to-1 margin, voters say Trump is more responsible for the current economy than Biden (62% vs. 32%). Unsurprisingly, there’s a large partisan gap, as Democrats are nearly 40 percentage points more likely than Republicans to blame Trump. Somewhat surprisingly though, 42% of Republicans blame him, while a 53% majority says Biden is responsible. Among independents, 62% say Trump and 29% Biden.

A larger share believes the Republicans have a better plan on securing the border, dealing with illegal immigrants, reducing crime, and reducing the federal budget deficit. Democrats are preferred on addressing climate change, reducing the cost of healthcare, raising wages, and making things more affordable. The parties are about equal on the issue of job creation.

Congressional Democrats said the shutdown was about extending subsidies for Obamacare. The 2010 healthcare law remains popular, as 54% have a favorable opinion of it — although much of that comes from nearly 9 in 10 Democrats viewing it positively. Not only do voters think Democrats have a better plan for reducing healthcare costs, but also Trump receives his lowest approval on the issue of healthcare. 

“The situation isn’t complicated,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “People are struggling to afford necessities and blaming those in charge. What’s interesting is watching Democrats gain politically from a problem they arguably caused — and that crushed them in 2024. But that’s politics.”

While many families say the government shutdown caused them severe (10%) or moderate hardship (35%), more than half say it was not a hardship at all (54%). 

The shutdown wasn’t a political winner for anyone: nearly two-thirds disapprove of how Trump (62%), Congressional Republicans (63%), and Congressional Democrats (64%) handled it.

A record low 39% have a favorable view of the Democratic Party, down from 42% in July. Another 39% have positive views of the GOP, down from 44% this summer. For Trump, it’s 40% positive, down from 43% in September and 50% in January. 

But it’s Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer whose marks have deteriorated the most, as a record low 22% view him favorably vs. 54% unfavorably, for a net rating of -32 points. His ratings were underwater by 16 points in January. Among Democrats, positive views of Schumer went from 51% in January to 38% today.

The overall marks for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took a smaller hit (from -2 to -10), as did Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s (from -9 to -15) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (from -10 to -12). Many are unable to evaluate Thune (54%), Jeffries (38%), and Johnson (31%).

Voters also think their political leaders don’t care about people like them, as roughly 6 in 10 say Democrats (59%) and Republicans (65%) in Congress and Trump (63%) don’t care.

Trump’s job ratings on foreign policy are underwater: 43% approve, while 55% disapprove. Yet views are more evenly divided on whether his recent peace deals will make the world safer or less safe (37% apiece), with one quarter saying not much difference. And 49% favor the U.S. military using deadly force against presumed drug trafficking boats departing from Venezuela, while 47% oppose those efforts. 

The president receives his top marks on border security (53% approve). Nearly half approve of his handling of immigration (46%), while a new low approves on the economy (38%), and about one-third approve on tariffs (35%) and healthcare (34%).

Poll-pourri

The electorate believes the different branches of government are failing to live up to their constitutional obligations. Two-thirds are concerned about Congress (64%) and the Supreme Court (63%) not doing the checks and balances that they should and are giving too much of their constitutional authority to the president. At the same time, about half (47%) are concerned the judicial branch is obstructing Trump’s constitutional authority to carry out his agenda.

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Falcons QB suffers season-ending injury as $180M veteran steps in

The Atlanta Falcons announced that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn left ACL. 

The team placed Penix on injured reserve on Monday with a left knee injury as it attempted to determine how severe his injury was. After a second opinion, the Falcons opted to go with surgery. 

Penix’s latest injury is the fifth season-ending injury he has sustained in eight seasons in college and the NFL. The 25-year-old tore his right ACL twice in college. 

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“The one thing we say about Michael is we know what it’s like to be battle-tested, and he’s shown us that before,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said of Penix during a news conference on Wednesday.

“You know, the last injury was (2021). I believe it was a shoulder. I think the last knee was in (2020), and he’s done nothing but come back stronger every single opportunity he’s been given. And when, you know, I think his famous line was, ‘You know, check his EKG,’ and it’s no different now. Like, the guy is going to come back stronger for us. You know this organization believes in him, his coaches believe in him, his guys believe in him, and he’s going to come back strong for us.”

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Penix left the team’s 30-27 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in the third quarter. In his second season in the league, Penix completed just over 60% of his passes for 1,982 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. 

The Falcons selected Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft despite signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in the same offseason. With Penix out, Cousins becomes the team’s starting quarterback. 

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Cousins, 37, has appeared in three games this season, once as a starter. He is 0-1 in his lone start and has completed 61.5% of his passes for 250 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Cousins will make his second start of the season against the New Orleans Saints (2-8) Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Dem veterans break silence after viral video causes backlash on social media

Democrats and Republicans heard two very different takeaways when a group of Democratic lawmakers called on U.S. servicemembers not to carry out certain orders in a video that went viral on social media on Tuesday.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., one of the lawmakers featured in the video, expressed exasperation with how critics had framed its message. 

“I’m not telling people to ignore orders,” Houlahan said on Wednesday. “I’m enormously frustrated with the way that this very sensible video is being interpreted in a really insidious way.” 

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Houlahan, alongside five other Democrats with military or intelligence experience, had encouraged servicemembers to not carry out unlawful orders.

“The threats to our constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution,” the lawmakers said.

“Don’t give up the ship,” the video added — a reference to a phrase used by the Navy.

Houlahan was joined by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH.

The video did not give an example of what specific kinds of orders servicemembers might have to refuse. 

In a separate post to X, Slotkin hinted that servicemembers asked to carry out airstrikes off the coast of Venezuela might be engaging in illegal strikes and said that some pilots had expressed concern about their involvement.

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Republicans responding to the exhortation mocked it as an example of Democratic paranoia towards Trump.

“[It’s] Stage 4 TDS,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a post to X, referring to Trump derangement syndrome — a moniker for the Democrat fixation on the president.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said the call sounded politically charged.

“At the end of the day, they’re mad the American people chose Trump and now they’re calling on the Military and Intelligence Community to intervene. Sounds a little ‘subversive to democracy’-ish,” Schmitt said. 

When asked about the video, Sen. Jack Reed, D-RI, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that he supports the exhortation in principle but noted that it’s sometimes difficult to parse out what’s permissible and what isn’t. 

“You can’t disobey the constitution,” Reed said. “The issue though, on a practical sense to me, is that determination is often very difficult to make.”

The Democrats who made the video believe the video said they had a very specific standard in mind. 

When asked what kinds of orders servicemembers should ignore, Crow, one of the lawmakers in the video, pointed to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

“The purpose is to remind people of their oath and their obligation to the Constitution and their obligations under the UCMJ, which are very clear,” Crow said. 

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The UCMJ, passed by Congress in 1951, governs a gamut of things servicemembers can get penalized for, ranging from desertion to committing war crimes. The video posted by the lawmakers on Tuesday does not mention the UCMJ by name.

Houlahan said that code should clearly delineate what’s permissible and what isn’t.

“Well, as an example, we are not supposed to use our military against our own citizens. Full stop. This is why the Uniform Code of Miliary Justice exists,” Houlahan said.

She noted that there are ways for servicemembers to appeal orders they are concerned about.

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“You have an obligation to know and respect your chain of command. You do have, however, a chain of command that you can go through where you can elevate those requests if you believe them not to be either lawful or appropriate, and that’s what I’m encouraging and my colleagues are encouraging people to do,” Houlahan said.

The Department of War did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

House Dem leader furiously denies Epstein meeting as files bill passes Congress

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., fired back at accusations Wednesday that he may have had dinner with Jeffrey Epstein or solicited donations from the disgraced financier. 

“He’s a stone-cold liar,” Jeffries said of James Comer, R-Ky., the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

The day before, Comer had said the committee had uncovered communications saying fundraisers had tried to arrange a private meeting between Jeffries and Epstein in 2013. 

According to Comer, the emails were discovered among the 65,000 pages of recently disclosed documents from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

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“I have no idea what James Comer is talking about in terms of anything any prior consultant may have sent,” Jeffries added. 

Jeffries made his remarks after congressional passage of a bill that would require the DOJ to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein, who died in 2019 while incarcerated on suspicion of sex trafficking underage victims, had amassed an impressive social circle, including figures like President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and others.

The public has demanded further transparency on whether Epstein used his connections to facilitate illegal sexual encounters for the rich and powerful in return for favors or to secure leverage over them.

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act Tuesday evening in a 427-1 vote. Moments later, the Senate unanimously adopted the bill, sending it to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

The files disclosed by the House Oversight Committee aren’t public because of Tuesday’s transparency act. They are materials produced by the DOJ in cooperation with requests from the committee. The Transparency Act is expected to release far more files than what the committee has received so far. Rumors have swirled about which prominent figures might get caught up in those more extensive revelations.

Jeffries, who voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, expressed anger at the suggestion his name might surface in further disclosures.

“Was that a serious statement from malignant clown James Comer? That I had Jeffrey Epstein over for dinner? That I accepted money from Jeffrey Epstein?” Jeffries asked. 

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“This is all part of an effort to deflect from their failures as a House majority to deal with the issues of importance to everyday Americans.”  

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The Epstein Files Transparency Act gives the DOJ 30 days to comply with the bill’s disclosure requirements.  

Security chief reveals fatal flaws in Charlie Kirk assassination: ‘Roof was covered’

Two months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University, his security director said the tragedy exposed preventable flaws in how the event was coordinated and secured.

Brian Harpole, a veteran law-enforcement officer and founder of Integrity Security Solutions, told “The Shawn Ryan Show” that his team repeatedly raised concerns about rooftop exposure, drone restrictions and staffing gaps in the days before the Sept. 10 event.

“We were told the roof was covered,” Harpole said. “The chief said, ‘I got you covered.’ I took him at his word.”

“We can’t break the law to do what needs to be done, so we relied on the police and no one was up there.”

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION WITNESSES DESCRIBE MINIMAL SECURITY, HORRIFYING SHOOTING

Harpole said he had asked for additional security based on previous high-risk events. He recalled a Turning Point USA appearance in San Francisco where protesters breached barriers and his team had to fight its way out with little law-enforcement help.

“We’ve seen it before,” he said. “In San Francisco we had a street takeover, people climbing fences, our exit routes compromised. We knew how fast things can go bad.”

Those experiences, he said, shaped his requests for extra officers and aerial support in Utah.

“We told them this one was open-air, surrounded by elevated ground — we needed more eyes, more coverage. But we were told it would be handled.”

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Harpole said Integrity brought 12 contractors, nearly double its usual staffing, but jurisdictional limits confined them to about 30 meters around the stage.

“Our responsibility stopped at the bubble,” he said. “We can’t make arrests or block student buildings — that’s law enforcement’s job.”

He said the Orem Police Department, which operates a drone and SWAT unit, was never asked to assist, despite a mutual-aid agreement.

“They told us later they were never asked to come,” Harpole said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Orem Police Department for comment.

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Harpole said he specifically flagged student stairways leading to rooftops that offered a clear line of sight to the stage.

“Three meters to the right or 10 to the left and there is no shot — that’s how precise the angle was,” he said.

He said his team prepared to deploy drones for overwatch but was denied authorization under FAA and campus restrictions.

“This is Utah, not Iraq,” Harpole said. “We couldn’t put snipers on roofs or launch drones. We did what we could within the rules.”

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Harpole said Integrity coordinated with UVU for nearly two weeks and relied on campus police for rooftops and overwatch due to jurisdictional limits. He said promised coverage wasn’t in place.

“This was a textbook example of what happens when lines of authority aren’t clear,” he said. “We couldn’t act outside our jurisdiction, and the people who could didn’t.”

He added that Integrity’s 12-member detail “built concentric zones, double presidential-style barricades, and used vehicles as hard barriers behind the stage,” but those measures couldn’t compensate for gaps in police coverage.

The Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed that its State Bureau of Investigation is leading the criminal inquiry alongside the Utah County Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors have charged Tyler James Robinson, 22, with capital murder in connection with the shooting and intend to seek the death penalty.

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UVU officials have said an internal review of the shooting and security procedures is ongoing.

“The comprehensive and independent third-party analysis will be made public once complete and will provide valuable insights into improving safety and security on college campuses,” the university said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital by a firm representing UVU. “UVU is committed to integrating these findings into its safety protocols to benefit UVU and the broader Utah higher education community and campus events.”

The university also emphasized the role of its police officers and new safety investments.

“University police officers play a vital role in maintaining a safe, secure and welcoming environment by enforcing local, state and federal laws while upholding the university’s values of respect, integrity and inclusion,” the statement continued. “Officers protect students, employees, visitors and property, and take a proactive approach to crime prevention, education and community engagement.”

UVU said it is currently hiring eight additional police officers and two new security managers to strengthen oversight and support for campus events.

Harpole said his decision to speak publicly was about ensuring lessons are learned from what happened at Utah Valley.

“Just show the facts,” he said. “If mistakes were made, fix them so it never happens again.”

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UVU officials said their ongoing third-party review will guide new safety policies and staffing expansions aimed at strengthening campus event security across Utah’s higher-education system.

Fox News Digital reached out to Turning Point USA and Integrity Security Solutions for comment.

Common spice may beat depression and boost sexual health, doctor says

One specific spice could function as a natural antidepressant, an expert says.

Saffron, found in popular foods and drinks like paella and herbal teas, has shown promise for its ability to boost mood and reduce symptoms of depression, in addition to other various health benefits.

During an in-studio interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Daniel Amen, psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics in California, shared his enthusiasm about using saffron for mental health support.

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“I love saffron so much,” he said. “I’m Lebanese, and Middle Eastern folks cook with a lot of saffron. And there’s actually folklore in Iran: If you’re too happy, you must have had saffron.”

Amen referenced research showing that about 30 milligrams of saffron was “equally as effective” as antidepressants in randomized trials.

While most SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can help boost mood, they also pose the risk of decreasing sexual function. Saffron does the opposite, according to Amen.

“As a psychiatrist, I don’t want to ruin my patients’ love lives,” he said. “Saffron increased sexual function [in research].”

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Saffron has also been shown to help with memory and focus, according to various studies.

A recent study, published in Reviews in Clinical Medicine 2025, also linked saffron to decreased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

After eight to 12 weeks of saffron use, participants reported that the supplement “significantly reduced” the symptoms and severity of PMS.

Additional research published in the Cambridge University Press in May 2025 revealed saffron’s potential to ease depression symptoms.

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The review analyzed 192 trials involving more than 17,000 patients and 44 different nutraceuticals to determine which supplements work for depression.

Saffron was identified as most effective, showing a moderate to large antidepressant effect.

The meta-analysis also examined how these nutraceuticals interacted with prescribed antidepressant medications.

Combining supplements like zinc and curcumins (natural compounds found in turmeric) with existing antidepressants were found to improve symptoms.

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“So, if you’re on an antidepressant and you want it to work even better, think about zinc and curcumins,” Amen recommended. “Saffron, zinc and curcumins is a great combination.”

While cooking with saffron may not achieve the levels needed to improve mood, saffron supplements are available as capsules, tablets and powdered extract. Thirty milligrams per day is typically the recommended dose for symptom relief.

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Long-term use of saffron has yet to be studied, as there is some uncertainty around its potency as a supplement, researchers and experts have warned.

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According to a medically reviewed WebMD article, taking saffron in high doses or for long periods of time “may be risky,” potentially causing anxiety, appetite changes, upset stomach sleepiness or headache.

Anyone interested in starting a saffron supplement should first consult with a doctor.

Who is the former Olympian turned alleged drug lord that the FBI can’t seem to catch?

Former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding is still at large. The Canadian has evaded capture by the FBI for several months after being added to its Ten Most Wanted list in early March. 

The FBI upped its reward from $10 million to $15 million to whomever turns him in on Wednesday. Wedding is alleged to have run a transnational drug trafficking ring that shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Mexico and Southern California to Canada and other locations in the U.S. 

He’s also alleged to have orchestrated and attempted multiple murders.

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He even reportedly got his ex-wife involved in his trouble along the way. 

Here’s a timeline of the former snowboarder’s fall to crime.

Childhood

Wedding was born in 1981 in the town of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

It was a town once known for shipping lumber and grain via boats and railroads. But its shipping industry diminished in the ‘70s and ’80s, around the time Wedding was born, due to Canada’s development of highways that enabled trucking. 

The town has since become one of the more crime-ridden in the country. From 2012 to 2014, and again from 2016 to 2019, Thunder Bay had the highest per-capita rate of homicide among Canadian cities, according to the nation’s census. 

Wedding came from a family of skiers. His father, Rene, an engineer, skied in college. His mother, Karen, had a brother who skied on the Canadian national team. Wedding’s grandparents even ran a small ski hill in the town. 

And when Wedding pursued winter sports, he quickly exhibited a trait often necessary for both competitive athletes and relentless criminals. 

“He had no fear,” former national champion ski racer Bobby Allison told Rolling Stone writer Jesse Hyde of Wedding in 2009. 

“A lot of kids, they say they want to go fast, but they don’t really want to go fast. They hold something back because there’s a little bit of fear there of falling. Ryan had none of that.”

Early athletic career

Around 1991, Wedding’s family relocated from Thunder Bay to the Pacific coast, in Coquitlam, British Columbia, less than an hour away from Vancouver. Coquitlam is a town with lower-than-average crime rates in Canada. However, the town’s biggest crime issue is “people using or dealing drugs” with a rate of 40.85 out of 120, according to Numbeo.

There, Wedding quickly excelled at snowboarding, winning the first race he competed in at age 12. Just three years later, he was part of the Canadian national snowboarding team at age 15 and began to regularly travel the world for competitions. Rene Wedding paid all the expenses for Ryan’s participation on the team, spending around $40,000, according to Rolling Stone. 

The young snowboarder reportedly “obsessed” over perfecting his snowboarding technique and also employed his dad’s engineering skills to try modifications to his boots and snowboards for an advantage. 

The Olympics

After missing out on the 1998 Winter Olympics, Wedding qualified for his first and only Olympic Games in 2002 in Salt Lake City. 

But Wedding’s natural talent, fearlessness and obsession weren’t enough to get him to the podium.

In his only event, the men’s parallel giant slalom, Wedding finished in 24th place. Switzerland’s Philipp Schoch won gold, Sweden’s Richard Rikardsson won silver and Chris Klug of the U.S. took bronze. 

With a bronze medal, Klug launched his own foundation dedicated “to promoting lifesaving organ and tissue donation and improving the quality of life for those touched by donation.” 

With no medal in hand, Wedding went down a very different path after Salt Lake City. 

Early criminal activity

After the Olympics, Wedding enrolled at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. 

In the early 2000s, Vancouver was ascending as one of the world’s illegal marijuana capitals. The drug was not legalized but was also a low priority for law enforcement, resulting in an influx of “grey area” cannabis stores, official businesses that sold marijuana illegally under the guise of another purpose. 

Gang activity related to the drug reportedly rose in the city from 2002-09. Gangs known as the “Red Scorpions,” the “Independent Soldiers” and the “Wolfpack Alliance” emerged, according to multiple reports, and dealing marijuana was a suspected top activity and form of income for the gangs. 

Wedding was first linked to criminal activity in 2006. He and another competitive snowboarder were named in a search warrant for a house in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, that was investigated for growing large quantities of marijuana, according to The Vancouver Sun. 

Police seized 6,800 marijuana plants from that house, but no one was charged.

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First prison sentence and mysterious marriage

Wedding was arrested for the first time in 2009 in the U.S. after traveling with two friends from Vancouver to California to allegedly buy 24 kilograms of Colombian cocaine. 

The FBI determined Wedding was working for a drug lord in Vancouver at the time. 

That year, the city had devolved into a gang war with multiple shootings related to gang violence, according to multiple reports. The alleged gangs involved included the Independent Soldiers, the Sanghera Crime Family, the Buttar Crime Family, the United Nations Gang, the Red Scorpions and the Vancouver chapters of the Hells Angels, The Vancouver Sun reported.

That year, police responded to reports of more than 30 shootings. 

“Let’s not kid ourselves. There’s a gang war and it’s brutal,” Jim Chu, Vancouver’s police chief at the time, told CBC.

When Wedding was tried, he claimed he was volunteering for several cancer agencies, was doing real estate investing and was training for the 2010 Olympics. But the Canadian Snowboard Federation said he had not competed in years, according to The Vancouver Sun. 

Wedding served a four-year jail sentence after agreeing to forfeit more than $121,000 seized during an airport sting and agreeing to drop an appeal of his conviction. 

Just over a year into his sentence, Wedding had a wedding of his own behind bars. He got married to an Iranian-born businesswoman from British Columbia at Reeves County Detention Center in West Texas, according to CBC.

The woman, who has not been named, said Wedding insisted he was convicted because he was “at the wrong place at the wrong time.” 

“I don’t want to be associated with these people,” she said, according to CBC. 

The woman has since been named in multiple money laundering and kidnapping investigations. While she has denied any involvement in criminal activity, her name has surfaced in an alleged international money laundering scheme tied to Mexican drug cartels. 

Wedding and the woman are no longer together. She says they haven’t spoken in recent years and that she has since remarried, per CBC. 

Becoming a kingpin

It wasn’t long after Wedding was released from prison before authorities cracked down on him again. 

In 2015, he was charged with new drug offenses in Nova Scotia. That time, police never caught him. He has been on the run as a fugitive ever since. 

U.S. investigators believe Wedding has been protected by the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico and resumed trafficking soon after he was released from prison. Federal authorities first issued an arrest warrant for Wedding in September 2024, but he has still not been apprehended.

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Wedding is believed to also go by the aliases “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King” and “Jesse King” and is estimated to have transported over $1 billion in cocaine. 

Wedding and alleged accomplice Andrew Clark, who was apprehended in October and extradited in March, are accused of coordinating the murder of an Ontario family “in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California.” 

The FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police allege Wedding and Clark coordinated a November 2023 double homicide in Ontario involving an innocent couple in a mistaken-identity killing, according to the FBI.

Wedding and Clark are also accused of coordinating the murder of another person in May over a drug debt.

FBI Los Angeles chief Akil Davis said at a news conference Thursday that Wedding’s alleged trafficking ring “routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in furtherance of these drug crimes.

“The alleged murders of his competitors make Wedding a very dangerous man, and his addition to the list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, coupled with a major reward offer by the State Department, will make the public our partner so that we can catch up with him before he puts anyone else in danger,” Davis added.

Investigators believe Wedding is living in Mexico but have not ruled out him being in the United States, Canada, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica or elsewhere.

The murder and criminal enterprise charges against Wedding carry a mandatory minimum penalty of life in a federal prison. 

New Allegations

Wedding was slapped with two additional counts of witness tampering, intimidation, murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking when the reward for his capture was raised to $15 million on Nov. 19, 2025. 

FBI Director Kash Patel compared Wedding to the infamous Mexican drug cartel leader El Chapo during a press conference on Wednesday. 

Patel provided an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital addressing the urgency to find Wedding. 

“Ryan Wedding has spent years hiding behind cartels, intimidation, and murder. That ends now. This FBI, alongside our partners, is committed to tearing down his operation piece by piece and ensuring he faces justice in an American courtroom where he belongs,” Patel said. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi added, “Whether you’re a kingpin or a dealer on the street, anyone who sells drugs to our kids will be arrested and prosecuted. Ryan Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in this world and works closely with the Sinaloa cartel. We will not rest until his name is taken off the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List and his narco-trafficking organization lies dismantled.”

Nationwide SNAP fraud data reveal states with the highest taxpayer losses

New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveal the states where the nation’s largest food assistance program is costing taxpayers the most through fraud and misuse.

The size and scope of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which supports more than 40 million Americans, came under renewed scrutiny during the government shutdown as funding for the sweeping food assistance program neared a funding lapse.

CHARTS ILLUSTRATE THE SCALE OF SNAP AS MILLIONS FACE POTENTIAL BENEFIT LAPSE

The spotlight on the program, meant to be a lifeline for low-income households, was welcomed by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who told Fox Business on Monday that the Trump administration will require all SNAP participants to reapply for benefits in an effort to prevent fraud. 

Rollins has previously said that one of her top early priorities was reevaluating SNAP, amid concerns about who qualifies and how the program is monitored.

“There are vulnerable families in America that need this program that aren’t getting it because of the fraud and abuse that now we’re going to work to fix,” Rollins said.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CITES WIDESPREAD MISUSE OF SNAP AS FUNDING LAPSES DURING SHUTDOWN

The scale of the program is striking. 

During former President Joe Biden’s administration, federal spending on SNAP climbed to record highs at $128 billion in 2021 and $127 billion in 2022, largely driven by COVID-19 relief measures that expanded access to food assistance.

Last year, SNAP cost $99.8 billion, with participants receiving an average of $187 in monthly benefits, federal data show.

As part of her review of SNAP benefits, Rollins said she directed states in February to share data on recipients. 

ALL SNAP RECIPIENTS REQUIRED TO REAPPLY AS TRUMP ADMIN CRACKS DOWN ON FRAUD

So far, only 29 states, mostly Republican-led, have complied. 

She said even that limited data has already uncovered significant misuse, including 186,000 deceased individuals receiving benefits and about 500,000 people collecting SNAP assistance in more than one state.

Initial data from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service show Alabama leading the nation with more than 26,000 stolen SNAP benefit claims. California follows with 25,818 stolen benefit claims, and New York ranks third with 25,210.

Nationwide, more than 226,000 fraudulent SNAP benefit claims and more than 691,000 unauthorized transactions have been approved. Fraudulent transactions are categorized as purchases that SNAP recipients did not authorize, often the result of card skimming, cloning, or other forms of electronic theft.

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What’s more, the data shows that fraudulent claims and transactions are more likely to be approved than denied, underscoring gaps in oversight.

Those stolen benefits cost the government more than $102 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, up from $69.4 million in the previous quarter and $31.9 million during the same period a year earlier.

The figures cover only the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 and exclude states that have yet to report full data.