Mercedes CLK-GTR seizure: The Rare 1-of-6 Roadster Was Used for Money Laundering

Mercedes CLK-GTR seizure: Federal Agents Confiscate $13M Hypercar Tied to Fugitive Kingpin

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. The Mercedes CLK-GTR seizure is tied to Canadian fugitive Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder now accused of running one of the world’s most violent narcotics empires.

The seizure arrives amid heightened federal enforcement actions, illustrating the government’s increasingly aggressive stance on automotive-related criminal activity. The hyper-rare Mercedes was confiscated during an asset-forfeiture operation linked to Wedding’s alleged money-laundering network.

Here is a closer look at the vehicle’s rarity and the fugitive’s disturbing backstory.

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 only 20 coupes and six roadsters produced, the Roadster is regarded as one of the rarest and most valuable modern Mercedes models in existence.

Accused of Trafficking and Murder

Investigators linked the car to Ryan Wedding, a fugitive now compared by U.S. officials to notorious drug lords such as El Chapo and Pablo Escobar.

• Narcotics Empire: According to a recent DOJ briefing, Wedding allegedly ran a billion-dollar drug pipeline with support from the Sinaloa Cartel, funnelling more than 60 metric tons of cocaine per year through North America.
• Murder Allegations: Federal officials say Wedding ordered the execution of a federal witness earlier this year, a killing carried out in Medellín, Colombia, just before the victim was scheduled to testify against him.

The Mercedes CLK-GTR seizure shows how high-value automotive assets often sit at the center of money-laundering operations, being used as portable wealth by criminal enterprises. Given its notoriety, this specific CLK-GTR Roadster is almost certain to attract global attention should it eventually be sold at a government auction.

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