FBI Director Kash Patel’s social media posts have again drawn scrutiny after he allegedly shared sensitive details about the capture of an alleged drug lord in Mexico, the Wall Street Journal has reported. The posts have strained relations between the United States and Mexico, with officials in Mexico City pushing back on the narrative surrounding the arrest.
Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder accused of running a drug trafficking ring linked to several murders, was arrested in Mexico City on 23 January. US Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson initially said Wedding had surrendered to authorities. However, Patel’s posts on X, liked by his 1.9 million followers, indicated that Wedding was arrested as part of a joint on-the-ground operation involving US and Mexican forces.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Patel also revealed that the same FBI Hostage Rescue Team that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro had apprehended Wedding. “This was a complex, high-stakes operation with zero margin for error. I was on the ground with our team in Mexico and witnessed extraordinary teamwork, precision, and trust between our agents and partners in Mexico,” Patel said.
An FBI spokesperson called the allegation that Patel had shared secret information “totally false”, adding that the operation was a success in collaboration with Mexican partners. A US official, however, told the Wall Street Journal that the FBI’s involvement had been intended to remain secret, and Patel’s disclosures reportedly placed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in a difficult position.
At a press conference on Monday, Sheinbaum repeated her assertion that Wedding had surrendered at the US Embassy in Mexico City. She shared what appeared to be an Instagram photo from Wedding’s “representative”, showing him outside the embassy, with a caption claiming he had decided to turn himself in voluntarily. News outlets later noted the image was likely AI-generated, and CBC News confirmed it. Wedding’s attorney, Anthony Colombo, contradicted the account, saying his client “was arrested” and “didn’t surrender”.
