Mexican Federal Judge Arrested on U.S. Charges of Accepting $2 Million Bribe to Free Drug Trafficker Tied to Ryan Wedding
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on November 5 that Mexican federal judge Luis Benítez Alcántara has been arrested in Colombia on charges of accepting a $2 million bribe to release a Canadian drug trafficker, and that the United States will request his extradition.
Benítez Alcántara, 49, of Mexico City, a former district judge there, is charged in a nine-count second superseding indictment with nine counts of being an accessory after the fact. Attorney General Todd Blanche said crooked public officials who assist drug traffickers operating in the United States will face justice in the United States.
According to the indictment, the trafficker was Andrew Clark, 36, second-in-command to Ryan James Wedding, 44, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder accused of leading one of the largest and most violent transnational drug trafficking organizations. Wedding, once on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, was apprehended in Mexico in January 2026 and remains in U.S. custody on drug trafficking, murder and attempted murder charges, with trials scheduled for March 31, 2027, and October 26, 2027.
Clark was arrested in Mexico in October 2024, and Benítez oversaw his extradition proceedings. After the United States formally requested extradition in November 2024, Clark transferred about $2.75 million through intermediaries in small increments to secure his release and agreed to pay Benítez about $2 million. On February 24, 2025, the day Benítez received the full $2 million, he granted Clark bond and ordered him released. Days later Clark was re-arrested and removed to the United States, where his case remains pending.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Benítez allegedly used his position to aid Wedding and his associates. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said the case reflects a commitment to dismantling criminal organizations at every level. The FBI investigated with the Los Angeles Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with assistance from Colombian law enforcement. If convicted, Benítez faces up to 15 years in prison on each count. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部总部大楼（固定图库）。公共领域。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters (file photo). Public domain.
