Executive Summary
- Mexican authorities raided four properties in and around Mexico City.
- Seized items include 62 motorcycles, drugs, and two Olympic medals.
- Ryan Wedding is wanted for allegedly leading a $1B drug network.
- The U.S. is offering a $15 million reward for his capture.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities have seized Olympic medals, dozens of luxury motorcycles, and narcotics during a series of coordinated raids linked to the international manhunt for Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympian accused of leading a transnational drug trafficking operation. The seizures were confirmed by Mexico’s security secretariat following a multi-agency operation in Mexico City and the surrounding State of Mexico.
According to a statement released to CBC News, Mexican officials executed search warrants at four separate properties. While the official statement described the target only as a foreign former Olympian listed among the most wanted fugitives by U.S. authorities, Mexican media identified the suspect as Wedding. Investigators reported the confiscation of 62 high-end motorcycles, two vehicles, methamphetamine, marijuana, ammunition, documents, and several works of art. Officials also recovered two Olympic medals during the searches.
Wedding, who competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, placing 24th in the parallel giant slalom, is currently the subject of a massive manhunt. U.S. and Canadian investigators allege that the former athlete transitioned into a leadership role within a sprawling drug-trafficking network with ties to the Sinaloa cartel. Authorities claim the organization generated more than $1 billion annually and have linked the group to multiple homicides.
The operation involved personnel from Mexico’s navy, the national guard, and federal agents from the attorney general’s office. This action marks the most significant public acknowledgment by Mexican authorities regarding their role in the search for Wedding. In a related development last month, U.S. officials in Miami seized a Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster valued at approximately $13 million, which prosecutors allege is connected to Wedding’s money-laundering activities.
The FBI recently released new photographs of Wedding, believed to have been taken in Mexico in 2024, in an effort to generate public leads. FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller previously noted that investigators believe individuals in the Mexico City area may possess information regarding his whereabouts. The U.S. government is currently offering a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to Wedding’s arrest.
International Fugitive Apprehension Strategy
The coordination between Mexican federal forces and U.S. agencies highlights the escalating pressure on high-value targets operating across North American borders. By seizing substantial assets, law enforcement aims to dismantle the financial infrastructure supporting fugitive networks, limiting their ability to sustain evasion efforts. The recovery of specific personal items, such as Olympic medals, suggests intelligence is narrowing in on the suspect’s immediate circle, although Wedding remains at large. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
