Federal authorities have seized one of the rarest Mercedes-Benz supercars ever built — a 2002 CLK GTR Roadster valued at roughly $13 million — as part of an international investigation targeting former Olympic snowboarder and FBI Top Ten Most Wanted fugitive Ryan Wedding.
Firefighters Save Driver from Mustang Teetering Over Tennessee Embankment
The Case Behind the Seizure
The Justice Department says the vehicle was confiscated during a series of arrests tied to “Operation Giant Slalom,” a nine-count federal indictment alleging drug trafficking, money laundering, and the January 31 killing of a federal witness in Colombia. Ten suspects were taken into custody this week, bringing the total number detained in the case to 11. Wedding himself remains at large and is believed by investigators to be hiding in Mexico.
An Extraordinarily Rare Supercar
The FBI’s Los Angeles field office released photos of the seized Mercedes as part of the announcement. Only 28 CLK GTRs were ever built for road use, and just six of those were convertibles, making the Roadster one of the most valuable modern Mercedes-Benz vehicles in existence. The car appears to have been held among assets connected to Wedding’s organization, which prosecutors allege worked with cartel networks to launder drug profits across multiple countries. Authorities have not said whether the vehicle will eventually be auctioned or retained as evidence.
Officials Respond to the Case
Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented on the scale of the alleged operation, stating that Wedding controls one of the most prolific and violent drug trafficking organizations in the world and that authorities will not rest until his name is removed from the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted List and his organization is dismantled. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli echoed that message, saying the week’s arrests serve as a warning to Wedding that a conviction would mean he’d never see the outside of a prison again. As with any pending case, the charges against Wedding and his co-defendants remain allegations unless proven in court.
An Unusual Cast of Defendants
Federal officials noted that the group of defendants swept up in the case is notably varied, including a Canadian criminal barrister, a reggaeton musician, and a self-described gangland media figure, underscoring the reach and complexity of the network prosecutors are targeting. For now, the seized CLK GTR remains in federal custody, an unlikely centerpiece in a case spanning continents and cartel networks.