In a significant international law enforcement operation, Mexican authorities have confiscated 62 high-value motorcycles valued at approximately $40 million belonging to Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder now accused of operating one of North America’s most extensive narcotics networks. The seizure represents the latest development in the ongoing multinational manhunt for Wedding, who is believed to be residing under the protection of powerful Mexican drug cartels.
The operation, conducted across four properties in Mexico City and surrounding regions, was coordinated with assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Los Angeles Police Department according to an FBI statement. The confiscated collection features rare racing models, predominantly Ducatis, alongside luxury paintings, artworks, substantial drug quantities, and two mysterious Olympic gold medals whose provenance remains unclear.
This seizure follows last month’s confiscation of a $13 million Mercedes CLK-GTR hypercar from Wedding’s assets. The former athlete, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics without medaling (finishing 24th in giant parallel slalom), now occupies a spot on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list with a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Authorities allege that Wedding, operating under aliases including ‘El Jefe,’ ‘Giant,’ and ‘Public Enemy,’ established his criminal enterprise after his release from US federal prison in 2011 where he was serving time for cocaine distribution. The FBI accuses him of ordering dozens of murders across the US, Canada, and Latin America, while also facing charges for witness tampering, intimidation, money laundering, and drug trafficking. Law enforcement officials have drawn comparisons between Wedding and notorious drug lords Pablo Escobar and Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.