Dozens of motorcycles estimated to be worth $40m (R662.8m) have been seized from a suspected drug kingpin by authorities in Mexico.
The FBI reported this week that 62 high-end motorcycles were seized, many of which are Ducatis and MotoGP bikes. According to motorsport.com, the collection features Ducatis that were ridden by MotoGP stars Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovisioso, Loris Capirossi and Andrea Iannone, as well as Marc Marquez’s 2012 title-winning Moto2 bike and Rossi’s championship-winning 125cc Aprilia.
“This month, Mexican authorities executed multiple search warrants and seized a large number of motorcycles with an estimated value of about $40m believed to be owned by FBI’s Top Ten Fugitive Ryan James Wedding,” FBI Los Angeles posted on social media.
“This successful seizure is a result of collaborative efforts among Mexican authorities, the FBI, RCMP [Canadian police] and LAPD [Los Angeles police].”
The collection belongs to Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin. Other items seized by authorities included two vehicles, artwork, two Olympic medals and drugs, according to Mexico’s secretariat of security and citizen protection.
The 44-year-old Canadian is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list for allegedly running a transnational drug-trafficking operation that ships cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations, according to the FBI.
Wedding is additionally facing charges in connection with the killing of a witness.
US authorities believe he is living in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel, with a reward of $15m offered for information leading to his arrest.
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