Key facts
- Mexican judge Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, faces nine counts of being an accessory after the fact, the Justice Department said.
- The US will request Benítez's extradition from Colombia, the Justice Department said.
- If convicted, Benítez would face a maximum of 15 years in prison on each count.
- Clark is described as second-in-command to Ryan Wedding, a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder charged in a US cocaine trafficking and murder case.
- Wedding is scheduled for two trials, on March 31, 2027, and October 26, 2027.
- The Mexican Federal Criminal Justice Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Benítez could not immediately be reached.
The US Justice Department said on November 5, 2026, that Mexican judge Luis Benítez Alcántara was arrested in Colombia on Sunday, November 1, 2026, on charges of taking a $2 million bribe to free alleged Canadian drug trafficker Andrew Clark. Benítez, 49, faces nine counts of being an accessory after the fact, according to the department.
According to the indictment, Benítez granted Clark bond and ordered him released on February 24, 2025, the day he received the full $2 million bribe payment. Clark was re-arrested days later and removed to the US, where his case remains pending.
The US will request Benítez's extradition from Colombia. "Crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating here at home, will face justice in the United States," US Attorney General Todd Blanche said. If convicted, Benítez would face a maximum of 15 years in prison on each count.
Clark is described as second-in-command to Canadian former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who is charged in a US cocaine trafficking and murder case. Wedding, who at the time was one of the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, is scheduled for two trials, on March 31, 2027, and October 26, 2027. Reuters previously reported that Wedding pleaded not guilty in January to 17 felony charges.
The Mexican Federal Criminal Justice Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Benítez could not immediately be reached for comment.