A Mexican federal judge is charged in the U.S. with taking a $2 million bribe to free the right-hand man of Ryan Wedding, an Olympic snowboarder turned accused drug kingpin.
Story Highlights
- Judge Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, of Mexico City was arrested in Colombia on U.S. charges.
- Prosecutors say he granted bond to Wedding’s second-in-command, Andrew Clark, the same day the $2 million landed.
- Mexican police caught Clark again days later and handed him to the U.S.
- The judge is accused, not convicted, and the U.S. will seek to bring him from Colombia to face trial.
What Prosecutors Say the Money Bought
The Justice Department announced on Thursday, November 5, that Colombian police had arrested Luis Benítez Alcántara on Sunday, November 1. Prosecutors say the judge took $2 million to let a jailed drug trafficker walk free. Benítez was the district judge in Mexico City handling the case of Andrew Clark, a 36-year-old Canadian the U.S. wanted to put on trial.
Clark was arrested in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October 2024 on U.S. drug, murder and attempted murder charges. The U.S. asked Mexico to send him north, and his case went before Benítez. Prosecutors say Clark then moved about $2.75 million in small amounts through go-betweens, and agreed to pay the judge about $2 million. On February 24, 2025, the indictment says, Benítez got the full $2 million and that same day granted Clark bond and ordered him released.
The deal did not last. Mexican police arrested Clark again a few days later and turned him over to U.S. authorities on February 27, 2025. His case is still pending in the U.S. No response from Benítez or a lawyer for him has been reported.
Who Is Ryan Wedding?
Ryan Wedding, 44, is a Canadian who once rode for his country as a snowboarder at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. U.S. officials say he later built a billion-dollar cocaine ring that worked with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and moved drugs into Canada and the U.S. He is also accused of ordering the killings of informants.
At the time of the alleged bribe, Wedding was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. He was caught in Mexico in January 2026 and brought to the U.S., where he pleaded not guilty. His first trial is set for March 31, 2027. Prosecutors call Clark his second-in-command.
The Charges and What Comes Next
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles returned a nine-count indictment on September 4. Each count charges Benítez with being an “accessory after the fact,” which means helping someone avoid arrest, trial or punishment. Each count carries up to 15 years in federal prison. The U.S. will ask Colombia to extradite him, which means to hand him over to face the charges.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said crooked officials who help drug traffickers, “no matter where they are,” will face justice in the United States. “Mr. Benítez will be held accountable,” he said. FBI Director Kash Patel said the judge allegedly used his position to aid Wedding and his associates.
Why This Matters
A judge’s bond order is supposed to rest on the law and the facts. Prosecutors say this one was bought. When a cartel can pay to open a cell door, the drugs and violence that follow land on American and Canadian streets.
This case also shows the reach of U.S. law. The alleged bribe was paid in Mexico, the arrest came in Colombia, and the trial would be held in Los Angeles. Agencies from the U.S., Canada and Colombia worked the case together under a Homeland Security task force set up by President Trump’s executive order.
Sources:
foxnews.com, justice.gov, wral.com, 6abc.com, cbc.ca, courthousenews.com, fox2detroit.com
