The Federal Bureau of Investigation says motorcycles valued at an estimated $40 million have been seized by Mexican authorities as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding.
Mexican law enforcement announced the seizure last week, and the FBI has since released images of the high-end motorcycles. Authorities in Mexico previously said the operation involved raids on four properties earlier this month, resulting in the seizure of 62 motorcycles, two vehicles, quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as artwork, ammunition, and documents.
The FBI said the seizure was the result of coordinated efforts involving Mexican authorities, the FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Los Angeles Police Department.
A former FBI agent and federal prosecutor told CTV News last week that the scale of the seizure could indicate investigators are “closing in on” Wedding’s whereabouts.
Wedding, a Canadian and former Olympic athlete, is accused by U.S. authorities of running a billion-dollar-a-year international drug trafficking operation. He is currently listed among the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives.
Investigators allege Wedding ordered multiple murders in furtherance of his criminal enterprise, including at least four killings in Ontario and one in Colombia. U.S. officials say the victim in the Colombian case was a cooperating witness.
The search for Wedding began in 2015, when the RCMP charged him with importing cocaine while he was living in Montreal. Authorities say he fled before police could arrest him and now believe the 44-year-old is living in Mexico under the protection of the Sinaloa Cartel.
A reward of up to $15 million has been offered for information leading to Wedding’s arrest.