A Mexican judge has been arrested on allegations that he took $2 million in bribes to release a Canadian man accused of drug trafficking, U.S. authorities said Thursday.
Luiz Benítez Alcántara was handling extradition proceedings in Mexico in 2024 involving Canadian citizen Andrew Clark. U.S. prosecutors accused Clark of helping operate a billion-dollar trafficking organization allegedly led by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, according to a Justice Department statement. Investigators say Benítez accepted bribes before ordering Clark’s release.
Clark was captured again several days later and transferred to the United States, where he faces charges connected to drug trafficking and murder.
Benítez, 49, was arrested Sunday in Colombia, the statement said. A nine-count indictment charges him with acting as an accessory after the fact. It was not immediately clear whether he had retained an attorney.
The United States plans to seek Benítez’s extradition from Colombia, according to officials.
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“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. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the statement.
The arrest is the latest development in a sweeping U.S. investigation into an international drug trafficking organization allegedly controlled by Wedding. The former snowboarder became one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives after authorities accused him of shipping cocaine from Latin America into the United States and arranging multiple killings. Wedding was arrested in Mexico earlier this year and taken to California, where he pleaded not guilty to murder and drug charges.
Authorities have arrested dozens of people allegedly connected to the network. The investigation has also led to the seizure of substantial quantities of drugs, weapons and cash, along with automobiles, motorcycles, artwork and jewelry valued at millions of dollars.
Matthew Lombard, Clark’s attorney, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday.
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