A recently resigned New Mexico judge and his wife were arrested in a federal raid on their family home Thursday, after it was revealed they harbored an accused member of Tren de Aragua, according to a report.Former Democratic Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose “Joel” Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, each face two charges of evidence tampering for allegedly harboring Cristhian Ortega-Lopez — an accused illegal migrant who federal officials say is a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, Fox News reported.
“Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens — including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told the outlet.
On Feb. 28, Ortega-Lopez, 23, was apprehended during an ICE raid at the judge’s tony Las Cruces, NM, residence where the suspected gangbanger lived in a guesthouse after first ingratiating himself as a handyman, Fox News reported citing court documents.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of New Mexico permanently banned Cano from serving on the bench due to the February arrest of Ortega-Lopez. The judge had resigned from the bench in March.
ICE investigators claimed Ortega-Lopez has Tren de Aragua-related tattoos, social media posts, and clothing — and used a search warrant to discover voicemails and text messages relating to alleged gang activity.
In a separate raid at the home of the couple’s daughter, April Cano, ICE investigators recovered four firearms — some of which allegedly belong to Ortega-Lopez, investigators said, citing social media evidence.
Social media pictures show Ortega-Lopez posing for Christmas photos with the Cano family and posing with weapons that he claimed belonged to April Cano.
“Doña Ana County has been a hotbed of illegal immigration and drug trafficking, human smuggling for many, many years,” former ICE Field Office Director John Fabbricatore told WPMI.
“To see that a judge would allow this to happen. It’s very concerning. It’s concerning. What else has the judge been doing?” Fabbricatore said.
Ortega-Lopez allegedly entered the US unlawfully in 2023 — crossing the border near Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 15 and was released into the country three days later, pending removal proceedings due to overcrowding at the prison, Fox News reported.
The alleged Tren de Aragua gang member was issued a Notice to Appear, which initiated formal removal proceedings, according to the outlet.Ortega-Lopez faces up to 15 years in prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5).
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