A collection of motorcycles worth $40 million was seized from a former Olympic snowboarder turned drug trafficker

Mexican authorities have dealt another major blow to the financial network of Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who has become one of the most‑wanted fugitives in the United States.

In a coordinated operation, officials seized a motorcycle collection worth an estimated $40 million, allegedly linked to the ex‑athlete’s assets. Wedding is accused of running a powerful international drug‑trafficking organization.

Criminal network uncovered

The operation involved multiple simultaneous raids and was carried out with support from Mexican authorities, the FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Los Angeles Police Department. Investigators say the motorcycles—dozens of high‑performance and limited‑edition models—are more than luxury items. They may hold key clues about the financial and logistical structure of the criminal network.

Wedding, now 44, represented Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, competing in parallel giant slalom. Two decades later, his name appears on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list. U.S. authorities accuse him of leading a transnational organization responsible for large‑scale cocaine trafficking.

Money laundering

According to the indictment, Wedding allegedly worked with partners connected to the Sinaloa Cartel to move tons of cocaine each year from Colombia, through Mexico, and into the United States and Canada. Investigators say the network relied on sophisticated financial and logistical systems to launder profits and transport drugs across borders.

“Each one of these vehicles can provide valuable information about routes, contacts, and financial movements,” former federal agents told U.S. media, emphasizing that the significance of the seizure goes far beyond its monetary value.

Wedding has been on the run since 2015, and authorities are offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. In addition to drug‑trafficking charges, Canadian authorities have linked him to four homicides in Ontario, and nearly 30 alleged associates have already been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation.

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