Dont ComplyAccording to a U.S. Department of Justice press release, Luis Benítez Alcántara, a Mexico City district judge, was arrested in Colombia on a second superseding indictment charging him with nine counts of being an accessory after the fact. Prosecutors allege that after Andrew Clark was arrested in Mexico in October 2024 on U.S. drug trafficking, murder and attempted murder charges, Clark negotiated a roughly $2 million payment to Benítez, who oversaw his extradition proceedings. The Justice Department says that on Feb. 24, 2025, the day Benítez received the full payment, he granted Clark bond and ordered his release. Clark was re-arrested days later and removed to the United States. The United States will seek Benítez's extradition. The release notes an indictment is merely an allegation and that defendants are presumed innocent. It reports no response from Benítez.
Why it matters
The indictment alleges a sitting judge used his office to free a defendant in an extradition case in exchange for money. Benítez faces up to 15 years in prison on each count if convicted, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
These are unproven claims, and everyone named is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Researched with AI assistance from the sources listed here and reviewed under our methodology.