What we know
What we know: Mexican judge arrested and accused in US with taking bribes in international drug trafficking case
Compiled Nov 5
What we know
- A Mexican judge, Luiz Benítez Alcántara, has been arrested and accused of accepting $2 million in bribes.
- The bribes were allegedly paid in exchange for releasing Canadian citizen Andrew Clark from custody during extradition proceedings in 2024.
- Clark was charged in the U.S. with helping run a drug trafficking group allegedly headed by Ryan Wedding.
- Clark was rearrested days after his release and removed to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking and murder charges.
- Benítez was arrested Sunday in Colombia and is charged in a nine-count indictment as an accessory after the fact.
- U.S. officials will request Benítez's extradition from Colombia.
What we don’t know yet
- It was not immediately known if Benítez has a lawyer.
- Clark's attorney, Matthew Lombard, did not immediately respond to messages.
Open questions
- Will Colombia agree to extradite Benítez to the United States?
- Has Benítez obtained legal representation?
- What is the current status of the broader investigation into Wedding's drug network?
- What is the status of Clark's criminal case in the U.S.?
Drawn from the Associated Press report. “What we don’t know” lists only what the reporting itself flags as unresolved.