A Mexican federal judge accused of accepting a $2 million bribe to release an alleged top associate of accused cartel boss Ryan Wedding was arrested in Colombia on Sunday, U.S. officials say. Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, now faces a nine-count federal indictment charging him as an accessory after the fact in connection with the release of Canadian defendant Andrew Clark, who prosecutors describe as Wedding's second-in-command.
U.S. prosecutors allege Benítez took the money in exchange for freeing Clark, according to ABC News. The outlet reports that on February 24, 2025 — the same day Benítez allegedly received the full $2 million payment — the judge granted Clark bond and ordered him released from custody. Benítez had overseen Clark's extradition proceedings in Mexico since 2024, according to the seed reporting carried by ClickOrlando.
Clark did not stay free for long. He was arrested again just days after his release and removed to the United States, per ABC News. In Mexico, investigators allege Clark funneled roughly $2.75 million through intermediaries in small increments between November 2024 and February 2025 as he tried to buy his way out of custody, according to The Globe and Mail.
A Billion-Dollar Drug Network Unravels
Clark, a Canadian citizen, was charged in the U.S. with helping run what the Justice Department describes as a billion-dollar drug trafficking organization, and he faces drug trafficking and murder charges, according to the ClickOrlando report. The organization was allegedly headed by Ryan Wedding, who is accused of moving cocaine from Latin America into the United States and orchestrating several killings. Wedding was arrested in Mexico earlier this year and flown to California, where he has pleaded not guilty to murder and drug charges.
The broader investigation has swept up dozens of people connected to the alleged network, with authorities seizing large volumes of drugs, weapons and cash, plus millions of dollars worth of automobiles, motorcycles, artwork and jewelry, per the same ClickOrlando account. A report cited by Zeta Tijuana, attributed to FBI Director Kash Patel, characterized Wedding's organization as a transnational criminal enterprise valued at $1 billion and identified as the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada — a characterization the outlet reported rather than an independently verified figure.
Judge Faces Charges, Extradition Question Unresolved
Benítez's lawyer status was not immediately known, and it is unclear who, if anyone, is representing him in the case. Andrew Clark's attorney, Matthew Lombard, did not respond to messages seeking comment on Thursday.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating in the U.S. will face justice in the United States. Reports differ on the next legal steps: the Globe and Mail reported that U.S. officials said a request for Benítez's extradition from Colombia would be made, while La Jornada reported, citing the Department of Homeland Security, that the extradition request had already been submitted to Bogotá.
Accounts also diverge on when the nine-count superseding indictment against Benítez was handed up. FOX 11 Los Angeles reported a federal grand jury returned the second superseding indictment on September 4, 2025, while Zeta Tijuana reported the filing date as September 4, 2026. Benítez has not been found guilty, and the allegations against him remain unproven in court.
