Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin linked to Mexican judge in $2M bribe scandal: cops

A district judge in Mexico has been arrested for allegedly accepting a $2 million payment to let the right-hand man of the ex-Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin, Ryan Wedding, go free.Luis Benítez Alcántara, 49, of Mexico City, was arrested on Sunday in Columbia on a nine-count federal indictment accusing him of being an accessory after the fact, according to the Department of Justice on Thursday.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

Please provide a valid email.By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Never miss a story Authorities accused Benitez of accepting a $2 million bribe in exchange for granting Canadian drug trafficker Andrew Clark, 36, bond and ordering his release.Clark was the second-in-command to Wedding, who’s in federal custody, charged with leading a transnational cocaine trafficking operation and with murder and attempted murder, the DOJ said.“Crooked public officials, no matter where they are, who assist drug traffickers operating here at home will face justice in the United States,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thanks to the work of the Homeland Security Task Force and our international law enforcement partners, Mr.Benítez will be held accountable.”In October 2024, Clark was arrested in Mexico on U.S.

murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking charges in which Wedding also was named, per the DOJ.After he was arrested, Clark appeared before Benítez, who was overseeing his extradition proceedings.In November 2024, the US requested Clark’s extradition to face prosecution in the United States. Between November 2024 and February 2025, Clark allegedly transferred close to $3 million, “through intermediaries and in small increments, for the purpose of securing his release from Mexican custody,” officials said.Authorities said—during this same period—Clark allegedly negotiated a deal to p...