Mexican judge accused by U.S. of taking bribes in major drug case

A Mexican judge, Luis Benitez Alcantara, has been arrested for allegedly accepting a $2 million bribe to release Andrew Clark, a Canadian man accused of playing a key role in a violent international drug trafficking ring, according to U.S. officials. The judge, 49, was apprehended in Colombia on Sunday and a request for his extradition is being made, U.S. authorities said.

If found guilty, Benitez Alcantara could face up to 15 years in prison for each of the nine counts in the indictment. Clark, who was first arrested in Mexico in October 2024 on U.S. charges of drug trafficking, murder, and attempted murder, is also named in the indictment. It is alleged that over a period from February 2024 to February 2025, Clark transferred about $2.75 million in small increments to evade detention, and that he struck a deal to pay Benitez Alcantara around $2 million in exchange for his release.

The judge allegedly granted Clark bail and ordered his release on the same day he received the bribe in February 2025. Clark was subsequently arrested in Mexico days later and taken to the United States, where he is currently facing criminal charges. Wedding, the alleged right-hand man of the Canadian drug kingpin, was arrested in Mexico in January of this year and is also awaiting trials in the U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that such actions by corrupt officials will be met with justice in the United States.