VANCOUVER / PANAMA CITY / ST. GEORGE’S — May 20, 2025 — As the global search for fugitive Ryan James Wedding intensifies, investigators are zeroing in on a troubling trend that is allowing high-value targets like Wedding to stay one step ahead of law enforcement: the purchase of legal and illicit passports through Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs, corrupt officials, and black market brokers.
With the ability to operate under multiple names and nationalities, Wedding has reportedly exploited these loopholes to build a network of identities that spans continents, making him one of the most elusive cartel fixers in the Western Hemisphere.
This press release explores how the business of selling legal and fake identities enables organized crime figures like Wedding to vanish in plain sight.
The Many Faces of Ryan’s Wedding
Originally from British Columbia, Canada, Ryan Wedding was once an Olympic-calibre snowboarder. After his conviction in the United States in the early 2000s for drug trafficking, Wedding’s life took a darker turn.
He allegedly reinvented himself as a key intermediary for Mexican drug cartels, working closely with operatives from CJNG and Sinaloa.
Today, authorities believe that Weddings travel under at least five different identities, including two legitimate passports acquired through citizenship-by-investment schemes and one diplomatic passport issued under questionable circumstances.
Each identity provides him new legal protections, financial access, and a new face to present to immigration officers, financial institutions, and business partners.
“Ryan Wedding doesn’t hide in jungles—he hides in the system,” said a spokesperson for Amicus International Consulting. “He uses legal and illegal identity mechanisms to pass borders, open accounts, and move millions. It’s a game of international chess, and he’s always three moves ahead.”
Case Study: Caribbean Citizenship Loopholes
In 2023, investigative journalists exposed a Caribbean identity-for-sale ring involving intermediaries who sold diplomatic and ordinary passports from countries such as St. Kitts & Nevis, Dominica, and Grenada.
The wedding’s name surfaced in encrypted chat logs recovered by regional intelligence units. Though not named in official government releases, intelligence leaks suggest Wedding used a Grenadian passport purchased in 2021 to facilitate multiple international trips.
While legal, Grenada’s CBI program has drawn criticism for lax due diligence, especially when it comes to applicants with extensive business dealings in high-risk jurisdictions. Wedding, operating through offshore nominees, is believed to have laundered his background through false documents and clean intermediaries to gain acceptance into the program.
The Business of Selling Identities
The identity trade operates in three tiers:
- Legitimate Legal Pathways – CBI programs allow high-net-worth individuals to obtain second passports in return for investments in real estate or national development funds.
- Corrupt Channels – Officials in some nations sell genuine passports under the table, bypassing CBI scrutiny.
- Black Market Forgeries – Skilled criminal networks manufacture authentic-looking fake passports from stolen government template files, often complete with biometric chips.
Weddings have reportedly used all three methods, sometimes within months of each other, depending on the region and level of scrutiny.
Case Study: Panama and the Phantom Identity
In 2024, a Panamanian official was arrested for his role in issuing 18 illegal identity documents to non-nationals, including two linked to cartel associates. Investigators found evidence that Wedding’s alias, under a European-sounding name, was registered as a Panamanian national with full rights.
He used this alias to purchase beachfront property in Bocas del Toro and travel frequently between Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
Despite multiple immigration stamps on the alias’s passport, Interpol Red Notices failed to trigger arrest due to discrepancies in facial recognition data—possibly a result of cosmetic alteration or digital masking.
How Diplomatic Status Creates Untouchables
Perhaps most concerning is the allegation that Wedding obtained a diplomatic passport through a small West African nation, reportedly via an underground broker network.
Diplomatic passports are issued to envoys, consuls, and ambassadors—but in some countries, they are rented or sold to foreign nationals in exchange for donations or political favours.
With a diplomatic passport, Wedding gains access to special lanes at international airports, potential diplomatic immunity, and reduced scrutiny from border authorities.
“People assume these are forged documents. They’re not. They’re real—and that’s what makes them so dangerous,” said the Amicus International spokesperson. “They’re signed, stamped, and logged into official government systems.”
Case Study: The European Loophole
One identity reportedly used by Wedding involved ancestry-based citizenship from an Eastern European country. Through falsified genealogical records and a paid-off notary, Wedding allegedly claimed descent from a citizen of that nation.
Once confirmed, he received EU travel rights, allowing him to move freely throughout the Schengen Zone.
Though the passport is technically legal, the process behind it was entirely engineered through fraud.
What Makes These Passports So Powerful?
Each passport Wedding serves a strategic purpose:
- Caribbean passports grant visa-free access to dozens of countries and mask North American origins.
- Panama and Latin American IDs allow access to Spanish-speaking jurisdictions and offshore banking.
- European passports open doors to high-value banking and less scrutiny in luxury financial markets.
- Diplomatic credentials add an armor of protection few fugitives ever achieve.
These multiple identities allow Wedding to open bank accounts, lease property, register companies, and book international flights under different names—all without triggering alerts from traditional security systems.
The Failure of International Oversight
Interpol, the DEA, and the RCMP have all issued warnings about the abuse of citizenship programs, but enforcement remains patchy.
Sovereign nations resist external audits of their CBI processes, citing privacy, economic independence, and diplomatic sensitivities.
Until unified global standards exist, criminals like Wedding will continue to exploit the cracks between sovereignty and security.
The Amicus Perspective
Amicus International Consulting has long advocated for legal and transparent second citizenship solutions for individuals seeking safety, privacy, or relocation. However, the firm warns that the misuse of these legal pathways undermines global trust.
“Programs designed to help refugees, investors, and professionals are being hijacked by criminals,” said an Amicus representative. “At Amicus, we help clients navigate the legal process ethically—never through bribery or fraud. The line is clear. Wedding has crossed it.”
A Global Threat in Disguise
As of this writing, Ryan Wedding remains at large, using legal papers to conceal a deeply illegal life. His ability to blend into luxury resorts, financial circles, and private enclaves under different names makes him not just a fugitive—but a systemic failure in global identity management.
Authorities now believe that apprehending Wedding will require not just luck or intel—but a coordinated overhaul of how the world issues, tracks, and revokes citizenship.
Until then, Wedding remains a man with many names, many passports, and no borders.
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For secure, legal second citizenship options, identity change consulting, and strategic jurisdictional planning, contact Amicus International Consulting today.