Mexican authorities have seized a massive collection of luxury motorcycles believed to belong to Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder now accused of leading a violent transnational drug trafficking organization, U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday.
The haul, valued at roughly $40 million, was uncovered during coordinated raids in Mexico City and the State of Mexico this month, according to the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. Investigators say the motorcycles were stored in multiple secured locations and are believed to be proceeds of large-scale cocaine trafficking, per ABC News.
“This month, Mexican authorities executed multiple search warrants and seized a large number of motorcycles with an estimated value of approximately $40 million USD believed to be owned by FBI Top Ten Fugitive Ryan James Wedding,” the FBI said in a statement released on December 30.
This month, Mexican authorities executed multiple search warrants and seized a large number of motorcycles with an estimated value of approximately $40 million USD believed to be owned by FBI’s Top Ten Fugitive Ryan James Wedding. This successful seizure is a result of… pic.twitter.com/yessXdMYDV
— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) December 29, 2025
Global Security reports that Wedding, 44, is currently on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and remains at large. U.S. prosecutors accuse him of running a billion-dollar cocaine distribution network that moved multi-ton shipments from Colombia and Mexico into the United States and Canada.
Before becoming one of North America’s most wanted fugitives, Wedding competed for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in snowboarding. His fall from elite sport into organized crime has stunned investigators who say his criminal activity escalated rapidly after his athletic career ended.
Court records show Wedding was convicted in the United States in 2009 for cocaine conspiracy and later served time in prison. Authorities say that following his release, he re-entered the drug trade on a far larger scale, building ties with Mexican trafficking organizations, linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.
According to federal indictments, Wedding allegedly oversaw cocaine shipments worth hundreds of millions of dollars and used shell companies, luxury assets and international couriers to launder profits. Prosecutors say his network operated across borders with a level of organization more typical of established cartel leadership than street-level trafficking. Violence, investigators allege, was central to maintaining that control.
Mexican authorities conducted four coordinated raids on properties linked to fugitive drug kingpin Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and one of America's Most Wanted. The operations targeted assets tied to his alleged role leading a violent transnational cocaine…
— 401_da_sarpanch (@401_da_sarpanch) December 26, 2025
Wedding, who is also known as “The Chief,” is charged in U.S. federal court with multiple counts related to drug trafficking, money laundering, running a continuing criminal enterprise, and ordering murders connected to his operation. Authorities allege he directed killings to eliminate rivals and silence potential witnesses.
One of the most serious allegations involves the January 2025 murder of a federal witness in Medellín, Colombia, who prosecutors say was targeted to prevent testimony against Wedding’s organization. Additional killings tied to the network are alleged in both Canada and the United States.
A U.S. official familiar with the case described Wedding’s transformation bluntly. “He went from shredding powder on Olympic slopes to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of North American cities,” the official said via AOL.
Ryan Wedding was an Olympic snowboarder and represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He's now a transnational drug trafficker for Mexico's largest drug cartel and he's on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list pic.twitter.com/grRAU3DhjL
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) October 19, 2025
The motorcycle seizure is being viewed by investigators as a financial blow to the alleged operation and a rare glimpse into Wedding’s reported lifestyle. Images released by authorities show rows of high-end motorcycles, many of them rare or customized, stored in pristine condition. According to Marca, the bikes alone are valued at around 32 million euros (or $37 million), with unique collector’s items from the likes of world champions Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi. Not to mention the Ducatis from Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso, and Rossi.
The FBI has warned that Wedding should be considered armed and dangerous and is offering up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction, per a statement on X.
Despite the seizures, authorities acknowledge that the former Olympian has so far managed to evade capture. Law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada and Mexico say the investigation remains active and additional assets linked to the alleged network may still be uncovered.
For now, the motorcycles sit in government custody, expensive symbols of a career path that prosecutors say ended far from the Olympic podium.
