A former judge and his wife have been arrested after it was alleged they had harbored an illegal immigrant who is a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Argua.
According to Fox News, former Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife Nancy Cano had their home in Las Cruces raided by federal agents Thursday and were subsequently taken into custody.
Both face charges of tampering with evidence and harboring Cristhian Ortega-Lopex, an alleged member of Tren de Aragua and illegal immigrant.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said those in the U.S. illegally who break the law will be hunted down, arrested, and locked up.
“Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Noem said. “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That’s a promise.”
Ortega-Lopez was arrested in connection with a February incident at the Cano residence. According to court documents, he was first employed by Nancy Cano for home repairs and subsequently provided lodging in the couple’s home.
Gang-related clothing, tattoos, voicemails and text messages showed evidence that Ortega-Lopez was linked to Tren de Aragua, and according to court documents, he entered the U.S. in December 2023 near Eagle Pass, Texas without authorization or inspection and was released three days later.
It further states that Ortega-Lopez was released due to overcrowding at the Border Patrol Facility but was issued a court date to appear before an immigration judge.
Investigators uncovered social media posts of Ortega-Lopez posing with firearms, and is facing charges of being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm and could face 15 years in prison.
Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Field Office Director John Fabbricatore said to WPMI that the discovery was “concerning.”
“Doña Ana County has been a hotbed of illegal immigration and drug trafficking, human smuggling for many, many years,” Fabbricatore said. “To see that a judge would allow this to happen. It’s very concerning. It’s concerning. What else has the judge been doing?”
The New Mexico Supreme Court issued a ruling permanently barring Judge Cano from holding judicial office in the state, however, Cano resigned from his position in March.
Amy Barela, Chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, told the Las Cruces Sun-News that they are demanding “real accountability.”
“The people of New Mexico are tired of a system where the powerful don’t play by their own rules,” Barela said. “We demand real accountability for Judge Cano’s connection to a gang-affiliated criminal and full transparency on how our judiciary is being held to the same laws as the rest of us. Enough is enough.”
