Mexican Judge Arrested Over $2 Million Bribe to Release Canadian Drug Suspect
US officials say the judge accepted a multi‑million‑dollar bribe, raising concerns about foreign criminal influence on Mexico's justice system.
US officials announced Thursday that a Mexican judge has been arrested and is accused of accepting a $2 million bribe to free a suspected Canadian drug trafficker, and the US Justice Department issued a statement on the accusations.
The judge, Luis Benítez Alcántara, a Mexican judge, was overseeing the 2024 extradition proceedings for Canadian citizen Andrew Clark, who faces US charges for helping run a billion‑dollar drug trafficking operation.
Fox News describes Andrew Clark as "Ryan Wedding's second-in-command in a billion-dollar cocaine enterprise," and the alleged trafficking group is said to be headed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
Original reporting
Fox News
Mexican judge arrested after U.S. charges him of accepting $2M bribe in case linked to former Olympian
Luis Benítez Alcántara allegedly took a $2 million bribe to release Ryan Wedding's second-in-command in a billion-dollar cocaine enterprise.
Read the original →The Guardian
US accuses Mexican judge of $2m bribe to free accused drug trafficker allegedly linked to ex-Olympic snowboarder
The judge oversaw extradition proceedings in Mexico for a Canadian citizen allegedly helping Ryan Wedding A Mexican judge has been arrested and accused of accepting $2m in bribes in exchange for releasing a suspected Canadian drug trafficker from custody, US officials said Thursday. Luis Benítez Alcántara was overseeing extradition proceedings in Mexico in 2024 for Canadian citizen Andrew Clark, who was charged in the US with helping to run a billion dollar drug trafficking group allegedly headed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, the justice department said in a statement.…
Read the original →
Facts this version was allowed to use
- Luis Benítez Alcántara is a Mexican judge.
- A Mexican judge has been arrested and accused of accepting $2m in bribes in exchange for releasing a suspected Canadian drug trafficker from custody, US officials said Thursday.
- The bribe was $2m.
- Luis Benítez Alcántara was overseeing extradition proceedings in Mexico in 2024 for Canadian citizen Andrew Clark.
- Andrew Clark is a Canadian citizen charged in the US with helping to run a billion dollar drug trafficking group.
- The drug trafficking group is allegedly headed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
- The US justice department issued a statement on the accusations.
- Fox News describes Andrew Clark as "Ryan Wedding's second-in-command in a billion-dollar cocaine enterprise."
- US officials announced the arrest and accusation on Thursday.
- Luis Benítez Alcántara was overseeing the extradition proceedings in 2024.
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