A $40-million US collection of rare and high-performance motorcycles seized from Canadian alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding will go up for auction next week in Mexico.
The 61 bikes include models from Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Suzuki and Yamaha. Some were previously used in professional racing, according to the FBI.
The motorcycles were uncovered during raids in the Mexican capital and nearby Mexico state last December at addresses linked to Wedding, who was then one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives.
The former Team Canada Olympic snowboarder was arrested in Mexico City the following month and flown to the U.S., where he remains in custody.
Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding arrested after a decade on the run
The Mexican public agency known as INDEP — translated as the institute to return stolen assets to the people — shared pictures of the motorcycles on its website and social media accounts ahead of next week’s auction.
A red Ducati motorcycle — set to be auctioned off — was among those seized in raids on properties linked to Ryan Wedding in Mexico last December. (INDEP)
Proceeds from the agency’s auctions typically go to fund social services.
INDEP didn’t name Wedding, but announced the motorcycles were now subject to forfeiture after they were seized by law enforcement last December. Some of the models pictured on the auction site match those seen in images previously shared by the FBI.
Mexican media also reported the link to Wedding.
Following last year’s raids, the FBI said in a social media post the “large number” of motorcycles seized were believed to be owned by Wedding, with an estimated total value of about $40 million US. The U.S. agency said the operation was the result of co-operation with Mexican authorities, the RCMP and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Mexican authorities said more than 60 motorcycles, as well as medals, artwork and drugs were seized in a series of raids in December 2025. The FBI later said the operation targeted Ryan Wedding, then considered a most-wanted fugitive. (Mexican government)
Racing enthusiasts who examined pictures of the seized bikes last year said some were identical to those used in Grand Prix road races, including a Ducati driven by Spanish world champion Marc Márquez.
The FBI previously confirmed to CBC News some of the models had been used in professional racing.
“There are maybe 10 or 15 of them that are literally the two-wheeled equivalent of Formula 1 cars,” said Simon Patterson, a North Ireland-based journalist who covers MotoGP, told CBC News.
“All in all, [this is] just an absolutely amazing collection of machines that Wedding has somehow been able to amass.”
The FBI said the December raids resulted in the seizure of a ‘large number’ of motorcycles. (FBI)
The U.S. Treasury Department has said Wedding laundered his vast wealth through an “extensive transatlantic network” involving associates, businesses and luxury assets including cars and motorcycles.
The FBI in Florida also seized an ultra-rare 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR Roadster, said to be worth $13 million US. The silver two-seater had been purchased by Toronto-area jeweller Rolan Sokolovski — described by U.S. authorities as one of Wedding’s two chief money launderers.
Big-ticket assets seized by U.S. federal law enforcement are also often auctioned off, but it’s unclear what will happen to the Mercedes.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on Monday when CBC News asked whether more Wedding-linked items would be sold off.
Canadian Ryan Wedding was arrested in Mexico in January 2026 and flown to California to stand trial. (U.S. Embassy in Mexico, FBI Los Angeles/X)
As for the motorcycles, INDEP said in a news release the models going up for auction range from the 1960s to the 2020s, with starting bids going from roughly to $1,600 to $192,000 Cdn., depending on the bike.
Bidders must register by Nov. 10. The live auction is set to begin the following morning.
The raids last December also netted other items, including Canadian snowboarding medals, artwork and two vehicles, authorities said at the time.
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Next week’s auction, set to be held at a banquet hall in the Mexican capital, will feature 620 lots in total, including armoured vehicles, boats and aircraft. It’s unclear whether any of the other goods may be connected to the Canadian.
U.S. authorities have said Wedding — also known as “El Jefe” (The Boss) — fled to Mexico around 2015, when the RCMP in Montreal sought his arrest. The Thunder Bay, Ont., native then allegedly expanded his purported cartel-linked drug-smuggling operation to a $1-billion US empire.
Motorcycles seized from Ryan Wedding used for pro racing: FBI
Wedding has pleaded not guilty to charges related to drug trafficking, money laundering and murder.
The 45-year-old is set to stand trial in Los Angeles next year.
Prosecutors have linked Wedding’s purported criminal network to multiple killings, including the mistaken-identity shooting of a family in Caledon, Ont.
CBC News senior reporter Thomas Daigle has covered the case of Ryan Wedding extensively. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
