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Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were taken into custody Thursday aft national agents raided their Las Cruces home.
The 2 look charges of grounds tampering amid allegations they harbored Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an alleged amerciable alien who is besides believed to beryllium a subordinate of Venezuela’s notorious Tren de Aragua gang.
"Under President Trump, we person arrested implicit 150,000 aliens—including much than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang," said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. "If you are present illegally and interruption the law, we volition hunt you down, apprehension you and fastener you up. That's a promise."
Exhibit filed March 13, 2025, successful the lawsuit U.S. v. Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, described arsenic "Cristhian with the Cano household successful their home." (U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico)
Investigators uncovered grounds linking Ortega-Lopez to the Tren de Aragua gang, including gang-related clothing, tattoos, voicemails and substance messages.
According to tribunal documents, helium unlawfully entered the U.S. connected Dec. 15, 2023, by crossing the borderline adjacent Eagle Pass, Texas, without inspection oregon authorization.
He was released connected Dec. 18, 2023, pending removal proceedings owed to overcrowding astatine the Border Patrol facility. He was issued a Notice to Appear, initiating ceremonial removal proceedings nether the Immigration and Nationality Act.
NEW MEXICO JUDGE RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGED TDA MEMBER ARRESTED AT HIS HOME
A Christmas photograph from 2024 of Cristhian Ortega-Lopez successful the Cano household home, tribunal documents state. (U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico)
Further probe led to the seizure of 4 firearms from the residence of April Cano, the couple's daughter. Ortega-Lopez was recovered successful societal media posts posing with weapons, immoderate of which helium claimed were owned by April.
He is presently facing national charges for being an amerciable alien successful possession of a firearm, a usurpation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5). If convicted, helium faces up to 15 years successful prison.
"Doña Ana County has been a hotbed of amerciable migration and cause trafficking, quality smuggling for many, galore years," erstwhile ICE Field Office Director John Fabbricatore said to WPMI. "To spot that a justice would let this to happen. It’s precise concerning. It’s concerning. What other has the justice been doing?"
Exhibit filed March 13, 2025, successful the lawsuit U.S. v. Cristhian Ortega-Lopez appears to amusement the alleged Tren de Aragua pack subordinate eating meal with members of the Cano family. (U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico)
Judge Cano resigned from his judicial presumption successful March and connected Tuesday, the New Mexico Supreme Court issued a ruling permanently barring him from holding immoderate judicial bureau successful the state.
"The radical of New Mexico are bushed of a strategy wherever the almighty don’t play by their ain rules," Amy Barela, Chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, said to the Las Cruces Sun-News. "We request existent accountability for Judge Cano’s transportation to a gang-affiliated transgression and afloat transparency connected however our judiciary is being held to the aforesaid laws arsenic the remainder of us. Enough is enough."
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Homeland Security Investigations continues to pb the case, KFOX reported.
Fox News' Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
Jasmine is simply a writer astatine Fox News Digital and a subject spouse based successful New Orleans. Stories tin beryllium sent to [email protected]
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