A judge has been accused of accepting a $2-million bribe for the release of Andrew Clark, the alleged right-hand man in a drug-trafficking ring linked to ex-Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
The United States Department of Justice announced Luis Benitez Alcantara, a judge from Mexico City, was arrested in Colombia on Sunday. He faces nine counts of being an accessory after the fact, with U.S. officials saying they will now request his extradition from Colombia.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, Clark had been arrested in Mexico in October 2024 on murder, drug trafficking, and attempted murder charges, which also involved Wedding. At the time, Wedding was the center of global headlines and listed on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives. Clark was his right-hand man, according to officials, and he appeared in court before Benitez, who was a district judge in Mexico City at the time.
The United States formally requested Clark’s extradition within weeks, and according to the D.O.J., Clark began transferring $2.75 million in smaller increments while negotiating a deal for his release. On February 24, 2025, Benitez received $2 million. He granted Clark bond and ordered his release that same day. The charges state that the bribe and Clark’s release were orchestrated in an attempt to evade U.S. law enforcement, but Clark was arrested again in Mexico just four days later.
“Crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating here at home will face justice in the United States,” U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a news release.
Ryan Wedding was arrested in Mexico City on January 22, 2026. He placed 24th in the men’s parallel giant slalom in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Court documents state that six years after his stint at the Games, he was arrested and found guilty in 2009 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was in prison until 2011, then got out and started dealing again. Over the next few years, he allegedly became a prolific drug trafficker.
