This month, Mexican authorities seized a large number of motorcycles estimated to be worth $40 million, believed to belong to the fugitive, the FBI Los Angeles said in a statement on social media on Monday. The FBI said the seizure was part of a joint operation that also involved the LAPD and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The photos released show rows of pristine sport bikes, vintage motorcycles, and racing machines that would make any collector jealous. Except the collector in question is an Olympic athlete turned drug kingpin accused of smuggling tons of cocaine and ordering murders.
The 44 year old Canadian national, who is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, is wanted for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking operation that ships cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations. Wedding competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah in the men's parallel giant slalom event, where he finished in 24th place. Twenty three years later, his need for speed manifests differently. Instead of downhill racing, he's allegedly running a billion dollar cocaine pipeline.
The Seizure
Officials in Mexico said 62 motorcycles, two vehicles, methamphetamine, marijuana, artwork, ammunition and documents were seized after four properties were raided earlier this month. The items included two Olympic medals, though it was not immediately clear whose medals the Mexicans found. The motorcycles alone tell a story of obsession. These aren't showroom bikes. These aren't just any motorcycles, the FBI believes this stunning collection belongs to Ryan James Wedding. It's safe to say this collection is the stuff of dreams.
The estimated $40 million value suggests a collection spanning rare vintage machines, limited production superbikes, and possibly MotoGP racing equipment. For context, a showroom Ducati Panigale V4 costs around $30,000. To reach $40 million across 62 bikes means an average value of $645,000 per motorcycle. These aren't dealership purchases. These are auction winners, prototypes, and machines most enthusiasts will never see in person.
The Charges
The former Olympic snowboarder was indicted in November 2025 by the U.S. government on murder, money laundering, and drug trafficking charges connected to a transnational criminal enterprise that generates billions of dollars annually. Wedding, 44, is accused of killing a U.S. federal witness, who was gunned down in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, before he could testify against Wedding.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Wedding's organization, which works closely with the Mexican based Sinaloa Cartel, is responsible for importing 60 metric tons of cocaine to the U.S. from Mexico each year, netting an annual billion dollar profit. Wedding is accused of running a criminal enterprise that has smuggled six metric tons of cocaine a year into Los Angeles via semitrucks from Mexico. The numbers vary by report, but the scale is consistent. Tons of cocaine. Billions in profits. Multiple murders. Cartel protection.
The Manhunt
The Department of State is offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Wedding, who is believed to be in Mexico and being protected by the Sinaloa cartel. He is on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list and has been previously compared to other notorious drug traffickers like Joaquin El Chapo Guzman and Pablo Escobar.
Officials believe he is hiding in Mexico, speaks both English and Spanish, and is being protected by the Sinaloa Cartel. A former FBI agent and federal prosecutor told CTV News last week that the move could mean investigators are closing in on Wedding's location. The seizures suggest authorities know where he's been, even if they haven't caught him yet. Four properties raided. Sixty two motorcycles seized. Olympic medals recovered. That's not random intelligence. That's targeted operations building toward capture.
From Olympian to Outlaw
The transformation from Olympic athlete to cartel associate raises questions nobody's answering publicly. How does a Canadian snowboarder who competed at Salt Lake City in 2002 end up running cocaine pipelines for the Sinaloa Cartel two decades later? The FBI isn't releasing that backstory. What's clear is that somewhere between finishing 24th in parallel giant slalom and becoming one of America's most wanted fugitives, Wedding found more profitable uses for his apparent risk tolerance and international connections.
The motorcycle collection offers insight into the lifestyle drug billions buy. This collection is the stuff of dreams. Rows of machines worth more than most people's homes, sitting in garages across Mexico City, while their owner hides from international law enforcement with cartel protection. The FBI photos show pristine condition, suggesting these weren't daily riders. They were investments, trophies, status symbols purchased with profits from an operation importing 60 metric tons of cocaine annually.
The seizure of Olympic medals alongside motorcycles and drugs creates surreal optics. Hardware earned through athletic achievement sitting next to evidence of criminal enterprise. Whatever pride Wedding felt standing on Olympic podiums has been replaced by something darker. The medals are evidence now, not accomplishments. The motorcycles are forfeited assets, not transportation. And Wedding himself has transformed from athlete to fugitive, from competitor to cartel member, from Olympian to wanted criminal with a $15 million bounty.
If you have any information concerning Wedding, please contact the FBI via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram at (424) 495-0614. Somewhere in Mexico, a former Olympic snowboarder is missing his motorcycle collection and wondering if the $40 million seizure means investigators are closer than he thought. The FBI certainly hopes someone who knows where he is thinks $15 million is worth more than silence.