Mexican judge arrested over alleged $2M bribe in drug case
Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 19:27 · Archive
A Mexican judge has been arrested after being accused of accepting $2 million to release a drug trafficker from custody.
Luis Benítez Alcántara, a district judge in Mexico City, was arrested in Colombia on Sunday and charged with nine counts of being an accessory after the fact. U.S. authorities allege he accepted $2 million in bribes to release Andrew Clark from custody during extradition proceedings in 2024.
Clark, a Canadian national, was arrested in Guadalajara, Mexico on 8 October 2024. According to the indictment, beginning in November 2024, Clark sent approximately $2.75 million to intermediaries over four months. On 24 February 2025, Benítez received $2 million in payments from those intermediaries and granted Clark bond and release that same day.
Clark is accused of being second-in-command to former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding in an international drug trafficking organisation. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges the network is a billion-dollar cocaine enterprise with connections in Colombia, Mexico and the United States, and is the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada. Clark was arrested again shortly after his release and removed to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking and murder charges. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said 'crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating here at home will face justice in the United States.' U.S. officials will request Benítez's extradition from Colombia.
How it is being reported
- US accuses Mexican judge of $2m bribe to free accused drug trafficker allegedly linked to ex-Olympic snowboarderThe judge oversaw extradition proceedings in Mexico for a Canadian citizen allegedly helping Ryan Wedding A Mexican judge has been arrested and accused of accepting $2m in bribes in exchange for releasing a suspected Canadian drug trafficker from custody, US officials said Thursday. Luis Benítez Alcántara was overseeing extradition proceedings in Mexico in 2024 for Canadian citizen Andrew Clark, who was charged in the US with helping to run a billion dollar drug trafficking group allegedly headed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, the justice department said in a statement.…Guardian World · 5 Nov, 19:58
- Mexican judge accused by U.S. of taking bribes in major drug caseLuiz Benítez Alcántara is accused of releasing Andrew Clark from custody after accepting $2 million in bribe payments.CBS News · 5 Nov, 19:11
- Mexican judge arrested after U.S. charges him of accepting $2M bribe in case linked to former OlympianLuis Benítez Alcántara allegedly took a $2 million bribe to release Ryan Wedding's second-in-command in a billion-dollar cocaine enterprise.Fox News · 5 Nov, 18:01
In this story: Luis Benítez Alcántara · Andrew Clark · Ryan Wedding · Mexico City · Colombia · Canada
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log
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