Mexican authorities confiscated a stunning collection of rare motorcycles valued at approximately $AU60 million, believed to belong to former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged international drug trafficker Ryan Wedding.
The extraordinary seizure, which took place across four properties in Mexico City and surrounding regions in December, has revealed one of the most valuable private motorcycle collections ever discovered by law enforcement.
The FBI’s Los Angeles office released images of the seized collection on December 29, showing dozens of motorcycles, with many appearing to be former MotoGP race machines. Among the seized motorcycles are several that appear to be ex-Valentino Rossi bikes, making them exceptionally rare and valuable to collectors.
Officials seized 62 motorcycles in total, with many appearing to be Ducatis according to photographs released by the FBI. The raids also uncovered luxury paintings, artworks, drugs, and two Olympic gold medals, though the ownership of the medals remains unclear.
The 44-year-old Canadian national Wedding competed for Canada in the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, finishing 24th in the men’s giant parallel slalom ski event, but did not medal.
“This successful seizure is a result of collaborative efforts among Mexican authorities, the FBI, the RCMP, and the LAPD,” the FBI stated, highlighting the international cooperation required to track down the alleged drug kingpin.
US officials allege Wedding is among the largest narcotics traffickers in North America, running an organisation that brings in an estimated $AU1.5 billion annually, with routes from Colombia into Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Wedding currently appears on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, with authorities offering a $US15 million ($AU22.5M) reward for information leading to his arrest, with additional rewards related to the murder of a potential witness. US officials have compared him to other infamous drug lords including Pablo Escobar and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
The motorcycle seizure follows the FBI’s November confiscation of Wedding’s 2002 Mercedes CLK-GTR roadster, a one-of-six homologation special supercar valued at approximately $AU19.5 million.
The seized motorcycles and vehicles are currently being held as evidence and will remain in custody until the conclusion of the investigation and any resulting trials. Authorities have not yet determined whether the assets will be sold at auction or destroyed, though it may be some time before these rare machines see the light of day again.
The case demonstrates the extraordinary wealth accumulated through international drug trafficking operations and the lengths to which law enforcement agencies will go to dismantle such organisations.
Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
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