$40m MotoGP bike collection seized from top 10 most wanted fugitive in Mexico

A massive collection of motorcycles, featuring MotoGP bikes raced by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, allegedly belonging to a drug kingpin, were seized by Mexican authorities.

The FBI released images on Monday night showing a massive collection of bikes which are believed to be owned by Ryan Wedding.

The 44-year-old former Canadian Olympic snowboarder is named on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitive list, who is currently believed to reside in Mexico.

Wedding was charged with numerous drug offences in 2024 and is on the run still, with the US Government offering a $15 million reward for information that could lead to his arrest.

The Canadian national competed in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and served jail time in 2009 after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

He was released in late 2010, after which he is believed to have founded a drug trafficking empire, with Wedding alleged to be responsible for routine shipments of hundreds of kilos of cocaine to Canada and parts of the US.

Authorities consider him armed and dangerous.

Late on Monday night, the LA branch of the FBI released a number of photos of a $40 million bike collection believed to be owned by Wedding.

Among the impressive collection is a number of MotoGP bikes.

The collection includes a 2018 Ducati raced by Jorge Lorenzo to three grands prix victories that year, as well Andrea Dovizioso’s 2019 Desmosedici.

Two of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi’s Ducatis from his difficult two-year stint with the brand in 2011 and 2012 are also part of the collection, as well as Marc Marquez’s Moto2 bike from the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The vast array of bikes also features a handful of Honda 500cc grand prix challengers and several Kawasaki Superbikes.

It is not clear what will happen to these bikes, now they have been seized.

A brief statement from the FBI read: “This month, Mexican authorities executed multiple search warrants and seized a large number of motorcycles with an estimated value of approximately $40 million USD believed to be owned by FBI’s Top Ten Fugitive Ryan James Wedding.  

“This successful seizure is a result of collaborative efforts among Mexican authorities, the FBI, RCMP and the LAPD.”