Federal agents have seized a 1-of-6 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster, valued at roughly $13 million, as part of a sweeping international manhunt targeting Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder now accused of running one of the world’s most violent narcotics empires. The hyper-rare Mercedes was confiscated during an asset-forfeiture operation tied to Wedding’s alleged money-laundering network, which investigators say pushed more than 60 metric tons of cocaine per year through North America.
The seizure arrives amid heightened federal enforcement actions, including ongoing safety probes into counterfeit parts, illustrating the government’s increasingly aggressive stance on automotive-related criminal activity.
A Hypercar With a Disturbing Backstory
The seized vehicle is a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster, one of just six ever built to homologate Mercedes’ FIA GT1 race car for road use. With 20 coupes and only six convertibles produced, the Roadster is regarded as one of the rarest modern Mercedes models in existence. Similar examples have sold for eight-figure sums, making this one of the most valuable automotive seizures in federal history.
Investigators linked the car to Ryan Wedding, a fugitive now compared by U.S. officials to drug lords such as El Chapo and Pablo Escobar. According to a recent DOJ briefing, Wedding allegedly ran a billion-dollar drug pipeline with support from the Sinaloa Cartel, funnelling cocaine from Colombia into U.S. and Canadian cities.
The FBI has now raised the reward for information leading to his arrest to $15 million, one of the highest fugitive bounties ever offered.
A Fugitive Accused of Murder, Trafficking, and Global Corruption
Federal officials say Wedding ordered the execution of a federal witness earlier this year, a killing carried out in MedellÃn, Colombia just before the victim was scheduled to testify against him. The DOJ has since indicted Wedding and several associates, including his attorney, who allegedly advised him to order the hit.
The State Department and Treasury have also sanctioned Wedding, freezing assets and cutting financial ties within the U.S. International agencies including the RCMP and Colombian authorities are cooperating in the search, while FBI leadership has warned that the fugitive is “dangerous and unpredictable.” At 6’3” and 240 pounds, officials say he is hard to miss.
This broader crackdown comes as federal agencies lean into splashier tactics to drawing in new recruits, through the use of a couple 2025 FordMustang GT's.
Why It Matters
The CLK-GTR Roadster seizure shows how high-value automotive assets often sit at the center of money-laundering operations. Hypercars and collectible classics are increasingly used as portable wealth, drawing heightened scrutiny from federal authorities.
For collectors, the case is a rare reminder, when a car this valuable surfaces under government control, it typically follows an extended legal battle before it can be auctioned. And given its notoriety, this specific CLK-GTR Roadster is almost certain to attract global attention should it re-enter the market.
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