A Mexican federal judge is in custody in Colombia after being arrested on U.S. bribery charges tied to the controversial release of a high-ranking Canadian drug trafficker with cartel connections. Luis Benitez Alcantara, 49, was apprehended this week under a nine-count indictment alleging he accepted $2 million to let Andrew Clark, a key figure in the Ryan Wedding drug organization, walk free in 2024.
The Bribery Scheme
According to U.S. prosecutors, Alcantara—then presiding over Clark’s extradition case in Mexico City—took the payment just one day before ordering the trafficker’s release on bond in February 2025. Court documents claim Clark’s associates funneled $2.75 million to Mexican officials during the three-month period surrounding the alleged bribe. Clark, the #2 in Wedding’s cocaine empire, faced extradition to the U.S. on charges including drug conspiracy and murder at the time of his brief release.
Cartel Connections
The Ryan Wedding Organization, named after its Olympic snowboarder-turned-kingpin leader, operated independently but maintained close ties to Mexican cartels while smuggling massive quantities of cocaine into North America. Clark’s freedom was short-lived—U.S. authorities recaptured him days later and successfully extradited him, where he remains jailed awaiting trial.
If convicted, Alcantara could serve up to 15 years in prison. The arrest marks another high-profile cross-border corruption case as U.S. officials increasingly target foreign judicial officials suspected of aiding drug traffickers.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/11/06/mexican-judge-arrested-in-colombia-on-u-s-bribery-investigation-into-drug-lords-release/