Mexican Judge Arrested in Colombia Over Alleged $2 Million Bribe to Free Accused Drug Trafficker

A Mexican judge, Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, was arrested Sunday in Colombia on U.S. charges that he took a $2 million bribe to free a Canadian suspected drug trafficker, the Justice Department said Thursday. Prosecutors say Benítez, a district judge in Mexico City, oversaw 2024 extradition proceedings for Andrew Clark, accused of being second-in-command to former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, and released him on bond after the payments. Clark was first arrested in Guadalajara on Oct. 8, 2024, and appeared before Benítez the next day. He was arrested days after his release and sent to the United States, where he faces drug-trafficking and murder charges. Benítez is charged in a nine-count indictment as an accessory after the fact. Officials said the U.S. will request his extradition from Colombia. Wedding, a former FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive, is accused of running a billion-dollar group that is the largest cocaine supplier to Canada. Attorney General Todd Blanche said corrupt officials who help traffickers will face justice in the United States.

Fox News and Just the News, the right-leaning outlets, lead with the judge and the bond, and both quote FBI Director Kash Patel. Fox adds the Oct. 8–9 timeline from the superseding indictment, calls the defendant "Ryan Clark" where others say Andrew, and carries a promo for an unrelated Pirro indictment plus a link about charges against a Mexican governor. Just the News stresses Wedding's Ten Most Wanted status and quotes First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli on holding officials accountable. The Guardian and CBS News, on the left, run nearly identical wire-style text led by the Justice Department statement and Blanche's quote. They name Clark, note his murder charges and say it is unknown whether Benítez has a lawyer. All outlets agree on the core facts; they differ in which officials they quote and which details they include. Reuters' coverage largely matches these facts.