Judge arrested in Colombia over alleged bribe to free drug suspect
A 49-year-old Mexican judge was detained in Colombia after accepting $2 million to release a Canadian suspect linked to Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
By Rosa Wojcik ·
A Mexican judge was arrested in Colombia on Sunday, facing accusations that he accepted $2 million in bribes to release a suspected drug trafficker from custody. U.S. officials announced the detention on Thursday, marking a new development in a long-running investigation into a multinational drug network.
The judge, Luiz Benítez Alcántara, 49, was overseeing extradition proceedings for Andrew Clark in 2024. Clark is a Canadian citizen charged in the United States with helping to run a billion-dollar drug trafficking organization. The Justice Department stated that Benítez allowed Clark to leave custody after receiving the bribe payments.
Clark was arrested again just days after his initial release. He was subsequently removed to the United States, where he now faces charges of drug trafficking and murder. Benítez faces a nine-count indictment for being an accessory after the fact. It was not immediately clear if the judge has retained legal representation.
U.S. authorities plan to request Benítez’s extradition from Colombia. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that crooked public officials who assist drug traffickers operating in the U.S. will face justice. He emphasized that these officials will be held accountable regardless of their location.
This arrest is part of a wider probe into a network allegedly led by Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder. Wedding was accused of moving cocaine from Latin America to the United States and Canada and orchestrating several killings. He was in Mexico earlier this year before being flown to California, where he pleaded not guilty to murder and drug charges.
Authorities have arrested dozens of individuals in connection with the alleged network. Investigators have seized large quantities of drugs, weapons, and cash. They also took millions of dollars worth of automobiles, motorcycles, artwork, and jewelry. Clark’s attorney, Matthew Lombard, did not immediately respond to messages on Thursday.
FBI Director Kash Patel referred to Wedding as a modern-day El Chapo, comparing him to Joaquin Guzman, the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel. Wedding competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. The FBI stated that Wedding used aliases such as El Jefe, Giant, and Public Enemy. He was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list last year, prior to his arrest.
