Mexican judge arrested, accused by U.S. of taking bribes to free accused drug trafficker linked to Olympian Ryan Wedding

November 5, 2026 / 2:11 PM EST / CBS/AP

A Mexican judge has been arrested and accused of accepting $2 million in bribes in exchange for releasing a suspected Canadian drug trafficker from custody, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Luiz Benítez Alcántara was overseeing extradition proceedings in Mexico in 2024 for Canadian citizen Andrew Clark, who was charged in the U.S. with helping to run a billion-dollar drug trafficking group allegedly headed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, the Justice Department said in a statement. Benítez is accused of releasing Clark from custody after accepting the bribe payments, according to the statement.

Clark was arrested days after his release and removed to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking and murder charges.

The statement said Benítez, 49, was arrested Sunday in Colombia. He is charged in a nine-count indictment with being an accessory after the fact. It was not immediately known if he has a lawyer.

U.S. officials will request Benítez's extradition from Colombia, the statement said.

"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.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/