LOS ANGELES — A Mexican federal judge was arrested in Colombia on U.S. charges alleging he accepted $2 million to order the release of a Canadian defendant in a cocaine trafficking case involving former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, of Mexico City, faces nine counts of being an accessory after the fact. The United States plans to seek his extradition from Colombia.
If convicted, Benítez Alcántara faces up to 15 years in federal prison on each count, according to officials. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Quick fact checklist
- Defendant — Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, a Mexican federal judge.
- Arrest — Colombia. U.S. authorities plan to seek extradition.
- U.S. charges — Nine counts of being an accessory after the fact.
- Alleged bribe — $2 million to order Andrew Clark’s release from custody in Mexico.
- Key date — Prosecutors say the payment and release order came on Feb. 24, 2025.
- Maximum penalty — Up to 15 years per count, according to the supplied DOJ statement.
Prosecutors allege Benítez Alcántara took the money in exchange for granting bail to Andrew Clark, whom authorities describe as Wedding’s second-in-command. Benítez Alcántara was overseeing Clark’s extradition proceedings in Mexico City.
Mexican authorities arrested Clark in October 2024 on U.S. drug trafficking, murder and attempted murder charges. The United States formally requested his extradition the following month.
Prosecutors say Clark transferred about $2.75 million through intermediaries between November 2024 and February 2025 in an effort to secure his release. They allege Benítez Alcántara received the full $2 million payment on Feb. 24, 2025, and granted Clark bail and ordered him released that day.
Clark was rearrested days later and transferred to U.S. custody. Federal authorities announced his arrival on Feb. 28, 2025.
Wedding, who competed for Canada in Olympic snowboarding, was apprehended in Mexico in January 2026 and brought to the United States. He faces federal drug trafficking, murder and attempted murder charges.
CBS News Report Earlier This Year