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[INTERNATIONAL] · Colombia, Mexico, United States, Canada · 94 sources

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Mexican judge Luis Benítez Alcántara arrested in Colombia

Luis Benítez Alcántara, a 49-year-old former district judge in Mexico City, was arrested in Colombia on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges he accepted a $2 million bribe to facilitate the release of Andrew Clark, a Canadian national and alleged second-in-command of a transnational drug trafficking organization led by former Olympian Ryan Wedding.

According to U.S. prosecutors, Clark negotiated the bribe through intermediaries between November 2024 and February 2025. On February 24, 2025, the same day the full payment was allegedly received, Benítez Alcántara granted Clark bond and ordered his release during extradition proceedings. Clark was re-arrested days later and transferred to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking and murder charges.

Benítez Alcántara faces a nine-count federal indictment in the United States for being an accessory after the fact. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison for each count. U.S. officials have stated they will formally request his extradition from Colombia.

Entities

Andrew Clark · Carabineros de Chile · Chilean Public Ministry · Colombia · FBI · Jorge Valdivia · Luis Benítez Alcántara · Paula Vial · Policía de Investigaciones de Chile · Ryan James Wedding · Ryan Wedding · U.S. Department of Justice

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Sources

El Guardia » Express Diario [expressdiario.com]