Mexican judge arrested in Colombia over alleged $2 million bribe
Mexican district judge Luis Benítez Alcántara was arrested in Colombia on Sunday on a U.S. indictment accusing him of accepting a $2 million bribe to release Canadian citizen Andrew Clark. Clark was accused of helping run a drug-trafficking network allegedly led by former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. The nine-count indictment accuses Benítez of being an accessory after the fact.
More context
The Justice Department said Thursday that a U.S. federal indictment charges Luis Benítez Alcántara, a Mexican district judge, with taking a $2 million bribe to free a Canadian drug-trafficking suspect; he was arrested in Colombia. The department said Benítez was arrested Sunday and faces nine counts of being an accessory after the fact. In 2024, he oversaw extradition proceedings in Mexico for Canadian citizen Andrew Clark, who was charged in the United States with helping run a billion-dollar drug-trafficking group allegedly led by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. The department accuses Benítez of releasing Clark after taking the bribe. FBI Director Kash Patel said Benítez granted bond and ordered Clark’s release, describing Clark as Wedding’s second in command. Wedding was arrested in Mexico earlier this year and pleaded not guilty to murder and drug charges in California.
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Reporting
- Bloomberg — FBI Arrests Mexican Judge in Colombia on Drug Trafficking Bribery Charges - Bloomberg
- Reuters — US says Mexican judge arrested in Colombia over $2 million bribe to free accused Canadian drug trafficker
- CBS News — Mexican judge arrested, accused by U.S. of taking bribes to free accused drug trafficker linked to Olympian Ryan Wedding - CBS News
- Fox News — Luis Benítez Alcántara arrested in Colombia for alleged $2M bribe | Fox News
- The Guardian — US accuses Mexican judge of $2m bribe to free accused drug trafficker allegedly linked to ex-Olympic snowboarder
- New York Post — Mexican judge arrested in $2M Ryan Wedding drug cartel case
- LiveNOW from FOX — Mexican judge arrested over alleged $2M bribe to free drug kingpin Ryan Wedding’s top deputy
- News4JAX — Mexican judge arrested and accused in US with taking bribes in international drug trafficking case
Verifier’s note
The New York Post, CBS/AP, Fox News, Bloomberg, News4Jax, Reuters, The Guardian, and LiveNOW Fox all report the Mexican judge’s arrest over an alleged $2 million bribe to release a drug trafficker linked to Ryan Wedding. LiveNOW Fox’s description is less precise about who was to be released, but it reports the same arrest and bribery allegation.