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Bidding war for ‘king of cocaine’ Ryan Wedding’s collection of luxury motorcycles
Mexico’s government is auctioning 61 luxury motorcycles seized from Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder accused of drug trafficking and described as the “king of cocaine”. The sale drew more than 100 people, including private collectors and a US auction house, and brought public attention to assets linked to a man sought by Mexican authorities and the FBI.
The auction ran on 11 and 12 November as part of a larger sale of around 400 items. A Ducati Desmosedici GP15 prototype sold for 2.09 million pesos, just over $112,000, while a US collecting and auction house bought nine motorcycles for more than 17 million pesos, almost $913,000. The motorcycles were valued at at least $40 million in total, and officials said proceeds from seized assets fund social justice programmes.
In short
- Mexico auctioned 61 motorcycles seized from Ryan Wedding.
- A Ducati MotoGP prototype sold for 2.09 million pesos.
- Proceeds from seized assets support social programmes.
Explained simply
Ryan Wedding is a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who is accused by Mexican and US authorities of drug trafficking. The nickname “king of cocaine” has been used to describe him, and he is wanted by Mexico and the FBI.
The motorcycles are among assets seized by the Mexican government and offered for sale alongside hundreds of other items. Such auctions turn property linked to criminal investigations into public funds; Mexican officials say the proceeds support social justice programmes.
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