A Mexican federal judge was arrested in Colombia on U.S. charges of accepting a $2 million bribe to secure the release of a Canadian drug trafficker linked to one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives. The arrest marks the latest action in a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation that targets transnational criminal networks operating across North and South America.
Luis Benítez Alcántara, a 49-year-old district judge in Mexico City, was detained on Sunday under a nine-count federal indictment accusing him of being an accessory after the fact. The charges arise from his alleged role in facilitating the release of Andrew Clark, 36, a Canadian national and second-in-command to Ryan James Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin. Wedding, once listed on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, was apprehended in Mexico in January 2026 and now faces charges in U.S. federal court.
Judge’s $2 Million Bribe Scheme
The indictment alleges Benítez used his official position to unlawfully secure Clark’s release, enabling a major figure in an international drug organization to evade lawful detention. According to court documents, Clark-arrested in Mexico in October 2024 on drug-trafficking, murder, and attempted-murder charges-transferred approximately $2.75 million between November 2024 and February 2025 to secure his freedom.
On February 24, 2025, the same day Benítez received the full $2 million payment, he issued rulings allowing Clark’s release. Clark was re-arrested days later and extradited to the United States, where his case remains pending.
Wedding’s Billion-Dollar Drug Empire
Wedding was orchestrating a billion-dollar transnational criminal organization and the largest supplier of cocaine to Canada with connections in Colombia, Mexico, and the U.S. Wedding’s organization has been linked to violent crimes, including murder and attempted murder.
Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to holding corrupt officials accountable, regardless of jurisdiction. “Crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating here at home will face justice in the United States,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The arrest was made possible through collaboration between the FBI, Colombian law enforcement, and the HSTF, a federal initiative launched under Executive Order 14159 to combat criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and human-trafficking rings.
Extradition, Sentencing and Multi-Agency Probe
Benítez’s extradition from Colombia is pending, and if convicted, he could face up to 15 years in federal prison per count. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Joshua J. Lee from the Transnational Organized Crime Section, with support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The investigation involved multiple U.S. agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Colombian National Police, as well as the Los Angeles Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The HSTF’s Los Angeles branch, which led the operation, functions as a multi-agency partnership between the FBI, LAPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Wedding’s trials are scheduled for March 31, 2027, and October 26, 2027, covering charges related to drug trafficking, murder, and attempted murder. His case remains one of the highest-profile prosecutions stemming from the HSTF’s efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations that pose a direct threat to U.S. national security.
