Feds auctioning illegal sports cars seized from drug kingpin
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Apple Auctioneering Company)
Buyer beware.
The federal government is auctioning off a collection of over two dozen cars seized from a drug smuggler in Tulsa, but some of them are almost as illegal as his operation.
Kong Meng Vang faces up to 40 years in prison after admitting to shipping 1,500 pounds of marijuana from California to Oklahoma as part of a plea deal, Tulsa World reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Among the vehicles are several JDM, or Japanese Domestic Market sports cars, that were illegally imported and not approved for street use in the United States.
(Apple Auctioneering Company)
They include some models that are highly sought-after by collectors and popular with the “Fast and Furious” crowd, including a 1999 Nissan Skyline GTR, a 1996 Toyota Supra and a 1996 Mazda RX-7 Twin Turbo. Typically, foreign cars that don’t meet U.S. regulations need to be at least 25 years old before they can be brought into the country.
If not, they’re often crushed when intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but the U.S. Marshals Service is apparently looking to recoup some of the value left in Vang’s instead.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The illicit cars are clearly listed as not for street use and buyers will need to carefully navigate local regulations not to run afoul of the law.
(Apple Auctioneering Company)
However, there are a few vehicles that are on the up and up, including a 2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 with 185,570 miles on the odometer and a Kenworth T600 dump truck.