Mexican judge arrested in Colombia in alleged $2 million bribery case

The U.S. Justice Department says Mexican judge Luis Benítez Alcántara was arrested in Colombia on Nov. 1 under a nine-count federal indictment. DOJ announced the arrest Nov. 5. A second superseding indictment, returned Sept. 4, charges him with accessory after the fact—allegedly helping hinder another person’s apprehension, trial or punishment. Benítez has not been convicted.

Prosecutors allege that Canadian Andrew Clark, arrested in Mexico in October 2024 on U.S. drug-trafficking, murder and attempted-murder charges, transferred about $2.75 million through intermediaries from November 2024 through February 2025 while negotiating an approximately $2 million payment. DOJ says Benítez received the alleged $2 million on Feb. 24, 2025, granted Clark bond and ordered his release. Clark was rearrested days later, taken to the United States, and his case remains pending.

If convicted, Benítez faces a statutory maximum of 15 years in federal prison on each count; that is a ceiling, not a sentence. DOJ said the United States would seek his extradition, while El País reported that the request had already been made. The accounts differ on whether it has been filed; neither reports an approved or completed transfer. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with FBI Los Angeles involvement.