Mercedes CLK GTR Seized in Miami: Inside the $13M Ryan Wedding Case

The Mercedes CLK GTR seized in Miami in November 2025 instantly became one of the most talked-about hypercar stories in the world — a $13 million, one-of-six roadster hauled away on a flatbed as part of the federal case against former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. And here’s the part that still gives us chills: our team personally saw this exact car sitting outside on that flatbed in Miami, days before the news broke.

At the time, it looked like a rare but routine transport of a unicorn-level car. Only later did the true significance become clear. This is the complete story of the car, the case, and everything that has happened since — including Ryan Wedding’s arrest in Mexico and the August 2026 extradition decision involving the man who allegedly bought the car. (Updated August 2026.)

Quick Answer: Why Was the Mercedes CLK GTR Seized?

The Mercedes CLK GTR Roadster seized in Miami is a roughly $13 million, one-of-six hypercar taken by the FBI in November 2025 as part of “Operation Giant Slalom” — the federal investigation into former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding’s alleged cocaine-trafficking empire. Prosecutors allege the car was purchased with laundered drug proceeds by Toronto jeweller Rolan Sokolovski, whom U.S. authorities describe as a key money launderer for the network. Wedding was arrested in Mexico in January 2026 and has pleaded not guilty; the CLK GTR remains in federal custody.

A $13 Million Mercedes CLK GTR on a Flatbed in Miami

A Mercedes CLK GTR is something most enthusiasts will never see in their lifetime. Roughly 25 road-legal examples were ever built, and just six of them were roadsters. They generally stay hidden in private vaults, museums, and elite collections. They are rarely moved, almost never displayed outdoors, and practically never seen casually sitting on a transport truck.

But this one was. Our sighting was unique because the car wasn’t tucked away indoors — it was outside, strapped to a flatbed, positioned in a way that immediately caught the eye. After a century in the car business, our family has seen almost everything roll through South Florida, and this still stopped us cold. There was no indication of a federal case at the time. It simply looked like the kind of transport moment you never expect to see twice.

Days later, the truth came out: federal agents had taken the car into custody, and the seizure was connected to one of the highest-profile fugitive cases in North America.

Who Is Ryan Wedding?

Ryan Wedding is a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games — and who, two decades later, was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March 2025. U.S. authorities allege he led a violent transnational drug-trafficking organization tied to the Sinaloa Cartel, moving tens of metric tons of cocaine into the U.S. and Canada, and that he ordered murders of rivals and witnesses. FBI Director Kash Patel went as far as calling him “a modern-day iteration of Pablo Escobar or El Chapo Guzman.”

By November 2025, the U.S. State Department had raised the reward for his capture to $15 million, and federal authorities began seizing assets allegedly tied to his network. That is how one of the world’s rarest supercars ended up on a flatbed — and how our camera roll ended up holding a piece of automotive history.

In January 2026, Wedding was arrested in Mexico and flown to the United States, where he pleaded not guilty to drug-trafficking and murder-related charges. Like anyone accused, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty — but the case around him keeps producing headlines, and this car sits right in the middle of one of them.

From Royal Garage to Evidence Locker: How the Car Got Here

The ownership chain behind the Mercedes CLK GTR seized in Miami reads like a thriller. The roadster — reportedly showing barely 22 kilometers on its odometer — is said to have previously belonged to the royal family of Abu Dhabi. It was later brought to the U.S. by Curated, a Miami-based vintage supercar dealership, and per AutoTrader Canada, even Drake reportedly circled the car before that deal fell through.

The buyer, according to investigators, was Rolan Sokolovski — a Toronto jeweller behind the “Diamond Tsar” brand. U.S. authorities allege he acted as a de facto banker for Wedding’s organization, laundering hundreds of millions of dollars, and that the CLK GTR was bought with dirty money. Sokolovski has been in custody since November 2025, was denied bail in February 2026, and in August 2026 consented to extradition to the U.S. His lawyer stresses that consenting to extradition is not an admission of wrongdoing, and he maintains his innocence.

When the connection between the car and the case became public, collectors were stunned. Hypercars of this magnitude almost never surface in criminal investigations. Seeing a CLK GTR outdoors is rare enough; seeing one taken into federal custody is something the exotic community will be talking about for decades.

Why the Mercedes CLK GTR Is So Important

For anyone unfamiliar with the legend: the CLK GTR was born because FIA GT1 racing rules required Mercedes-Benz to build road-going versions of its late-’90s race car. The result is one of the most extreme homologation specials ever made — essentially a Le Mans-style racer with license plates.

Every CLK GTR has a documented history, and each chassis is tracked by collectors worldwide — a perfect example of why paperwork matters as much as paint, something we cover in depth in our collector car documentation guide. These cars rarely change hands, and almost never appear in public. That’s why this sighting, and the seizure that followed, became global news.

From Olympic Podium to Operation Giant Slalom: The Timeline

What Happens to the Seized Mercedes CLK GTR Now?

For now, the car sits in secure federal storage while the cases play out. In situations like this, seized assets are typically held as evidence and subject to forfeiture proceedings. If a court ultimately orders the CLK GTR forfeited, vehicles of this kind are usually sold — often through government auction — with proceeds going to the public purse. Nothing about this car’s next chapter has been officially announced.

Here’s the fascinating part for collectors: an event like this becomes part of the car’s story forever. Some collectors avoid cars with complicated backstories. Others find them even more desirable because of their unique history. Either way, this specific CLK GTR now has a documented moment that sets it apart from every other chassis in existence — and if it ever crosses an auction block, expect fireworks.

Watch: Our Real Footage of the CLK GTR in Miami

We didn’t just read about this one — we were there. Watch our original video of the 2002 Mercedes CLK GTR on the flatbed on Instagram, or right here via TikTok:

Final Thoughts

Seeing the car outside on a flatbed felt like a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Days later, learning that the same Mercedes CLK GTR was at the center of a federal seizure turned an unusual sighting into one of the most talked-about exotic-car moments of the year. The CLK GTR was already a legend; now it’s part of exotic-car folklore.

If stories like this fuel your passion, keep exploring: start with our first-time exotic car buyer guide, relive another once-in-a-lifetime sighting in our Bugatti Destrier one-off story, or plan your own unicorn hunt with our Monterey Car Week guide. And for daily industry headlines, our sister site Exotic Car News has you covered.

Mercedes CLK GTR Seizure: FAQ