DOJ Flights to Mexico City Linked to Ryan Wedding Case

Aircraft operated by the US Department of Justice  (DOJ) conducted at least five documented operations at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) over the past week, coinciding with the transfer of Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic athlete accused of large-scale drug trafficking linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, according to official flight records and confirmations from Mexican aviation personnel.

Flight data reviewed by El Financiero and corroborated by internal aviation sources show that a Boeing 757-223 operated by the DOJ, bearing registration N874TW, arrived at and departed from AICM multiple times between mid and late January. The activity occurred amid heightened scrutiny following Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s announcement that US military aircraft would no longer be authorized to land in Mexico to transport Mexican officials for training purposes.

According to flight itineraries, the Boeing 757 departed AICM at approximately 6:41 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, bound for Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, California. Wedding was transported on that flight to Los Angeles, where he is expected to face judicial proceedings. Imaging and tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft departing Joint Base Andrews in Maryland earlier in the week before landing in Mexico City.

Mexican aviation specialists noted on social media that the aircraft’s movements were consistent with official government operations. Mexican aviation personnel confirmed the presence of the aircraft at AICM, though airport authorities did not respond to requests for comment regarding the purpose of the flights. Unofficial reports cited by local media indicated that FBI personnel were onboard during at least some of the operations.

In addition to the Boeing 757 flights, DOJ records show two additional operations involving a Gulfstream V aircraft using the same registration identifier. That jet flew between Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia and AICM on Jan. 20, returning to Virginia later the same day.

An earlier operation recorded on Jan. 15 shows a DOJ aircraft departing from AICM to Richmond, Virginia, an airport that serves both civilian and military traffic. Flight records further indicate that the Boeing 757 was repositioned from Joint Base Andrews to Mexico City on Jan. 21, ahead of its final departure to California.

The Department of Justice has not publicly detailed the scope of the mission. However, US authorities confirmed that Wedding was transferred under FBI custody. Following the aircraft’s arrival in California, FBI Director Kash Patel compared Wedding to “a modern-day Pablo Escobar or Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán”.

The transfer has drawn attention to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT), the elite unit reportedly involved in Wedding’s apprehension. The HRT is a specialized tactical force within the FBI responsible for counterterrorism operations, hostage rescues, and the arrest of high-risk targets. Unlike standard SWAT teams, the HRT combines military-grade tactical training with law enforcement authority.

According to publicly available FBI historical accounts, the HRT was created in the late 1970s after then–FBI Director William H. Webster observed a US Army Delta Force demonstration and concluded the Bureau required a comparable unit capable of responding to extreme threats while operating under civilian policing standards. The unit is organized into specialized squadrons focused on maritime operations, fortified structures, and transportation environments such as aircraft and buses.

In the Wedding case, reports indicated that the unit was prepared for “various outcomes, including the use of considerable force,” reflecting the FBI’s doctrine of minimizing operational risk in high-threat missions.

The aircraft activity also coincided with other reported US aerial movements near Mexican territory. On the same day as the DOJ aircraft’s arrival in Mexico City, social media users reported the overflight of a US military aircraft identified as BLKCAT5 over the Yucatan Peninsula. Aviation analysts identified the aircraft as an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone, which has conducted multiple flights in the region, including near Campeche.

Separately, Mexican authorities confirmed that a US Air Force aircraft landed at Toluca International Airport over the weekend to transport 39 officials from Mexico’s Strategic Operations Unit of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection for training activities.