US says Mexican judge arrested in Colombia over $2 million bribe to free accused Canadian drug trafficker

MEXICO CITY, Nov 5 - The US Justice Department said on Thursday that a Mexican judge was arrested on charges of taking a $2 million bribe to free alleged Canadian drug trafficker Andrew Clark, second-in-command to Canadian former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who is charged in a US cocaine trafficking and murder case.• Mexican judge Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, was arrested in Colombia on Sunday and faces nine counts of being an accessory after the fact, according to the DOJ• Reuters previously reported that Wedding pleaded not guilty in January to 17 felony charges• The US will request Benítez’s extradition from Colombia. “Crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating here at home, will face justice in the United States,” said US Attorney General Todd Blanche• If convicted, Benítez would face a maximum of 15 years in prison on each count• According to the indictment, Benítez granted Clark bond and ordered him released on February 24, 2025, the day he received the full $2 million bribe payment• Clark was re‑arrested days later and removed to the US, where his case remains pending• Wedding, who, at the time, was one of the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, is scheduled for two trials, on March 31, 2027, and October 26, 2027• The Mexican Federal Criminal Justice Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Benítez could not immediately be reached for comment REUTERS