Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum displayed an altered image of Ryan Wedding to journalists on Monday, claiming it as proof that the alleged drug lord had willingly surrendered. The image, which CBC News revealed was created using artificial intelligence and shared on an Instagram account linked to Wedding, was presented during a press conference in Mexico City. Sheinbaum emphasized that Wedding had turned himself in at the U.S. embassy without any involvement of U.S. authorities on Mexican soil.
The Instagram post, supposedly from Wedding’s “representative,” stated, “After seeking guarantees for a fair process, I have decided to voluntarily turn myself in to the authorities.” The image projected during the conference depicted Wedding at the U.S. Embassy.
The image posted on the debunked Instagram account “bossryanw” was removed, with only the AI-generated photo showing Wedding at the embassy remaining. The individual managing the account failed to prove any connection to the former Olympic snowboarder when contacted by a reporter.
Ryan Wedding, a former FBI top 10 fugitive, was apprehended last week and extradited to California to face charges, including murder. Mexican Attorney-General Ernestina Godoy Ramos described Wedding as a significant figure linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and involved in drug distribution in North America. Wedding pleaded not guilty to the charges in a California courtroom.
The discrepancy in narratives between U.S. and Mexican officials regarding Wedding’s arrest was highlighted, with conflicting reports on the sequence of events leading to his capture. While Mexican authorities claimed to have captured Wedding first before handing him over to the U.S. following negotiations with the FBI, Sheinbaum denied any joint operations with the U.S. in Mexico.
The use of the AI-generated image by President Sheinbaum raised questions, as the image showed inconsistencies, including the embassy building undergoing renovations and the man wearing a cap with distorted letters – a common trait in AI-generated images. Requests for comments from Sheinbaum’s office and Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch went unanswered.