On December 30, 2025, the FBI released striking images of a cache of rare motorcycles worth an estimated $40 million, believed to belong to Ryan Wedding—a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder now infamous as one of the world’s most wanted fugitives. The seizure, carried out by Mexican authorities in a series of coordinated raids earlier this month, marks the latest chapter in a sprawling international manhunt that has captivated law enforcement and the public alike.
Wedding, 44, once represented Canada in the men’s parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games, finishing 24th. But the story of his transformation from celebrated athlete to accused drug lord reads like something out of a Hollywood script—except, as officials across North America and beyond will attest, the stakes are all too real. According to the FBI Los Angeles field office, Wedding is now the central figure in a vast federal indictment in Los Angeles, charged with orchestrating a transnational criminal enterprise that has allegedly imported staggering amounts of cocaine into the United States and Canada, laundered billions in drug proceeds, and left a trail of violence in its wake.
The scale of the operation is jaw-dropping. Attorney General Pam Bondi, as reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles, stated that Wedding’s organization, working closely with the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, is responsible for importing 60 metric tons of cocaine into the U.S. from Mexico each year. That’s enough to net an annual billion-dollar profit and, according to prosecutors, make Wedding the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada.
But the money is only part of the story. The recent seizure—62 collectible Ducati MotoGP motorcycles, many adorned with sponsor logos and reminiscent of those used in competitive racing—spotlights both the opulence and the audacity of Wedding’s alleged empire. The FBI, in its official social media posts and statements, emphasized that the motorcycles were just one part of a much broader operation: raids also resulted in the confiscation of artwork, ammunition, various documents, marijuana, and methamphetamine, all believed to be tied to Wedding’s criminal network.
Wedding’s name first surfaced on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list after his indictment in October 2024. The charges are severe: drug trafficking, running a criminal enterprise, money laundering, and multiple murders—including the brazen execution of a U.S. federal witness in a Medellín, Colombia restaurant in January 2025. That witness had agreed to cooperate with the Los Angeles investigation, codenamed Operation Giant Slalom (a nod to Wedding’s Olympic past), but was gunned down before he could testify. Federal prosecutors allege the murder was ordered directly by Wedding himself.
The superseding indictment, unsealed in Los Angeles in November 2025, expanded the scope of the case, naming Wedding, his allegedly corrupt Canadian lawyer, and several women accused of helping orchestrate the murder-for-hire. Some suspects remain at large, and authorities have described the plot as both sophisticated and ruthless.
Wedding’s criminal journey, according to court records and law enforcement statements, began after his Olympic career faltered. In 2009, he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and served time in prison until his release in December 2010. Not long after, federal authorities allege, he founded the drug trafficking enterprise that would eventually draw comparisons to infamous figures like Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and Pablo Escobar. The U.S. government is now offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Wedding’s arrest and conviction.
"If you have any information concerning Wedding, please contact the FBI via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram at (424) 495-0614. You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at http://tips.fbi.gov," the FBI Los Angeles division urged in a recent public appeal. The agency also released a newly obtained photo of Wedding, who is believed to be hiding in Mexico, likely under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel. Authorities warn that he should be considered armed and dangerous.
The international reach of the investigation is notable. The FBI has worked closely with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Mexican law enforcement to chip away at Wedding’s fortune and dismantle his network. Last month, the FBI seized an ultra-rare $13 million Mercedes CLK-GTR supercar, another asset believed to be part of Wedding’s vast wealth. In addition to the motorcycles, the most recent raids in Mexico targeted properties and associates linked to the fugitive, resulting in multiple arrests.
Wedding’s consiglieri, Andrew Clark, was arrested in Mexico City in 2024 and extradited to Los Angeles in March 2025. Clark, described as a key figure in the organization, remains held without bail at a federal lockup in downtown Los Angeles. The indictment also ties Wedding to the November 2023 murders of two family members in Caledon, Ontario, Canada, allegedly carried out in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment routed through Southern California.
While the FBI’s seizure of the motorcycle collection is a significant blow to Wedding’s criminal enterprise, officials caution that the manhunt is far from over. Wedding’s ability to evade capture for over a year, despite intense scrutiny and a multimillion-dollar bounty, has frustrated law enforcement and fueled his mythos. "He is on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list and has been compared to notorious drug traffickers like Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman and Pablo Escobar," noted CNN in its coverage.
Wedding’s story is a cautionary tale of how athletic promise can curdle into notoriety. Once cheered as an Olympian, he now stands accused of overseeing a criminal empire that spans continents and leaves devastation in its path. The FBI’s images of the seized motorcycles—rows upon rows of gleaming Italian machines, once symbols of speed and luxury—are now evidence in a case that continues to unfold.
As the new year dawns, law enforcement remains determined to bring Ryan Wedding to justice. For now, his whereabouts remain a mystery, but the dragnet is tightening—and with every asset seized, the world grows smaller for one of its most wanted men.
