Former New Mexico Judge and Wife Arrested for Allegedly Harboring Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Member

Las Cruces, NM – April 25, 2025 - A former New Mexico magistrate judge and his wife were arrested Thursday following a federal investigation into allegations that they harbored an illegal immigrant suspected of ties to the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The arrests of Joel Cano, a longtime Doña Ana County judge, and his wife, Nancy Cano, have sent shockwaves through the local community, raising questions about judicial integrity and border security.

According to federal authorities, the couple was taken into custody after a raid on their Las Cruces home by FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The investigation centers on Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a 23-year-old Venezuelan national who was arrested at the Cano residence on February 28, 2025, on federal firearms charges. Ortega-Lopez is suspected of being a member of Tren de Aragua, a violent transnational criminal organization recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

Court documents reveal that Ortega-Lopez illegally entered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas, on December 15, 2023, and was released three days later due to overcrowding at a Border Patrol facility. He later moved to El Paso, where he met Nancy Cano while working as a handyman. Nancy Cano reportedly offered Ortega-Lopez residence in a guesthouse, or “casita,” behind the couple’s home, and Joel Cano allowed him to use their address to file for immigration relief. Social media evidence uncovered by investigators showed Ortega-Lopez posing with firearms, some allegedly belonging to the Canos’ daughter, April Cano, and displaying gang-related tattoos, clothing, and hand gestures linked to Tren de Aragua.

Joel Cano, a Democrat and former police officer, served as a Doña Ana County magistrate judge since 2011 until his abrupt resignation on March 3, 2025, days after Ortega-Lopez’s initial arrest. The New Mexico Supreme Court permanently barred Cano from holding judicial office on April 22, 2025, citing the severity of the allegations. The couple faces charges of evidence tampering, with Nancy Cano also charged with conspiracy to tamper. They were booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center without bond.

Federal prosecutors allege that Ortega-Lopez’s social media posts, which included images of him handling weapons and socializing with the Cano family, provided critical evidence of his gang affiliations. Four firearms were seized from a neighboring property owned by April Cano during the investigation, and Ortega-Lopez faces charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, which carries a potential 15-year prison sentence if convicted.

The case has drawn national attention, with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlighting the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on illegal immigration and gang activity. “Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Noem stated. “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and lock you up.”

Local officials and residents expressed concern over the implications of a sitting judge allegedly housing a suspected gang member. “Doña Ana County has been a hotbed of illegal immigration and drug trafficking for many years,” said John Fabbricatore, a former ICE Field Office Director, in an interview with WPMI. “To see that a judge would allow this to happen is very concerning.”

The arrests come amid heightened federal scrutiny of Tren de Aragua’s growing presence in the United States. Legal analysts suggest that further charges, potentially including harboring an illegal alien or providing material support to a terrorist organization, could be forthcoming as prosecutors review communications and financial records tied to the Cano household.

Ortega-Lopez remains in custody at the Doña Ana County Detention Center, with a court appearance scheduled for April 30, 2025. The Cano couple’s legal proceedings are ongoing, with no immediate court date announced. The case underscores the challenges of addressing illegal immigration and gang-related crime, particularly in border-adjacent regions like southern New Mexico.

Sources: Just The News, Fox News, Breitbart, Albuquerque Journal

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