Ex-Olympian Ryan Wedding cartel case: Mexican judge arrested over alleged $2M bribe

LOS ANGELES - A Mexican judge has been arrested in Colombia on federal charges accusing him of accepting a $2 million bribe to release a high-ranking transnational drug trafficker from custody. 

Luis Benítez Alcántara faces nine counts of being an accessory after the fact for allegedly aiding the criminal syndicate led by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan James Wedding.

What we know:

How the alleged bribe unfolded

Federal authorities unsealed a second superseding indictment charging 49-year-old Luis Benítez Alcántara of Mexico City with nine counts of being an accessory after the fact. 

While serving as a district judge in Mexico City overseeing extradition proceedings, Benítez allegedly accepted an illicit $2 million payment from 36-year-old Andrew Clark, a Canadian national accused of serving as second-in-command in Wedding’s multibillion-dollar cocaine trafficking enterprise.

Investigators determined that between November 2024 and February 2025, Clark transferred approximately $2.75 million through intermediaries in small increments to secure his release from Mexican detention. 

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On February 24, 2025, the same day Benítez allegedly received the full $2 million bribe, the judge ordered Clark released on bond. Days after his release, Clark was rearrested and transferred to the United States, where his criminal case on drug trafficking, murder, and attempted murder charges remains pending.

Benítez was arrested on Sunday in Colombia during an international operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Buffalo, New York, and the Colombian National Police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol. 

If convicted, Benítez faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for each count.

What we don't know:

The indictment does not release the identities of the intermediaries used by Clark to transfer the funds, nor does it state whether Benítez has retained legal counsel in Colombia or the United States. 

Federal authorities have not disclosed the anticipated date for Benítez’s formal extradition proceedings to conclude in Bogotá.

Dig deeper:

Ryan Wedding allegations and fallout

Federal prosecutors allege that Ryan James Wedding—a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who became an FBI "Ten Most Wanted" fugitive—commanded a multibillion-dollar transnational cocaine trafficking ring aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel that routinely orchestrated murders, witness assassinations, and violent retaliations across North America. 

Following a massive international manhunt that saw a $15 million reward placed on his head, Wedding was captured in Mexico City in January 2026 and extradited to Southern California to face a multitude of federal charges, including running a continuing criminal enterprise, drug conspiracy, and multiple counts of murder. 

Timeline:

• October 2024: Mexican authorities arrested Clark on U.S. drug trafficking, murder, and attempted murder charges, placing his extradition proceedings before Benítez in Mexico City.
• November 2024: The United States formally requested Clark’s extradition to face federal prosecution.
• November 2024 – February 2025: Clark coordinated wire and cash transfers totaling roughly $2.75 million to brokers and negotiated the $2 million bribe agreement directly tied to Benítez.
• February 24, 2025: Benítez accepted the full payment and signed the release order, leading to Clark’s brief freedom before he was rearrested days later and removed to American soil.
• September 4, 2025: A federal grand jury returned the second superseding indictment against Benítez.
• January 2026: Ryan Wedding was subsequently apprehended in Mexico and removed to U.S. custody.
• November 2026: Benítez was taken into custody in Colombia.

What they're saying:

Federal law enforcement leaders emphasized international accountability following the arrest. 

Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, "Crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating here at home will face justice in the United States. Thanks to the work of the Homeland Security Task Force and our international law enforcement partners, Mr. Benítez will be held accountable. The Department of Justice will continue identifying and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety of the American people."

First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli noted that the action reflects a broader mandate against judicial corruption.

"This case underscores my office’s commitment to dismantling criminal organizations at every level, including by holding accountable those who abuse positions of public trust," he said.

FBI Director Kash Patel detailed the operational scope.

"The FBI and our partners have arrested Luis Benítez Alcántara, a Mexican judge who allegedly accepted bribes and used his position to aid former FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Ryan Wedding and his associates. Benítez Alcántara was a district judge in Mexico City who allegedly accepted $2 million in exchange for granting bond to and ordering the release of Wedding’s second in command, while 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," he said. 

"Benítez Alcántara is charged with nine counts of accessory after the fact for assisting the individual in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment. Thanks to FBI Los Angeles, our Bogotá Law Enforcement Attaché, our local partners, and our Department of Justice who made the success of this operation possible," Patel added.

What's next:

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá will coordinate with the Colombian government to formally extradite Benítez to the Central District of California to face arraignment. 

Wedding, who remains detained without bond in the United States, is scheduled for two separate federal trials set for March 31, 2027, and October 26, 2027.

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