Ex-new Mexico Judge, Wife Tried To Hide Evidence Of Illegal Alien Gangbanger, Doj Prosecutors Say

A erstwhile New Mexico judge and his woman allegedly tried to hide incriminating images and videos of an forbidden migrant believed to beryllium a personnel of Venezuela’s notorious Tren de Aragua pack and harbored different migrants, nan Justice Department said Friday.

Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his wife, Nancy Cano, 67, were arrested Thursday aft national agents raided their Las Cruces home. The brace look charges of grounds tampering amid allegations they harbored Cristhian Ortega-Lopez.

"Judges are responsible for upholding our country’s laws. It is beyond egregious for a erstwhile judge and his woman to prosecute successful grounds tampering connected behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua pack member accused of illegally possessing firearms," said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. 

"The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling this overseas violent statement by disrupting its criminal operations successful New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support pack members — including judges."

EX-NEW MEXICO JUDGE, WIFE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY HARBORING ILLEGAL TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBER

An HSI supplier escorts erstwhile Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano retired of his location Thursday, April 24, 2025.   (Courtesy of KFOX14)

Ortega-Lopez was put connected nan Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) radar aft a tipster said he was successful nan U.S. illegally and had guns. He initially entered nan state Dec. 15, 2023, adjacent Eagle Pass, Texas. He was taken into custody and released owed to overcrowding astatine nan U.S. Border Patrol facility.

Ortega-Lopez apparently posted aggregate images and videos connected societal media showing him pinch different forbidden immigrants handling guns astatine a shooting scope successful Las Cruces, national prosecutors said. Among nan weapons were a SIG Sauer P365 pistol, an AR-15 firearm equipped pinch a suppressor and different high-powered guns and ammunition. 

NEW MEXICO JUDGE RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGED TDA MEMBER ARRESTED AT HIS HOME

His societal media activity revealed contented suggesting ties pinch nan Venezuelan gang, including gang-related tattoos, manus gestures and clothing, prosecutors said. He besides mocked a $5,000 reward to drawback TdA members, Attorney General Pam Bondi said. 

Among nan images were besides 2 group who were decapitated, she said. 

In January, national agents received a extremity that Ortega-Lopez was surviving pinch different forbidden immigrants connected a spot belonging to Cano, who was still a judge astatine nan time, and his wife. 

Authorities seized 4 guns during a Feb. 28 hunt of nan property. 

Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his wife, Nancy Cano, 67, are accused of harboring Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an forbidden migrant and alleged personnel of Venezuela’s notorious Tren de Aragua gang.  (U.S. District Court for nan District of New Mexico; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement )

The 4 guns, on pinch 3 cellphones belonging to Ortega-Lopez, were seized, and he was arrested. During nan search, Ortega-Lopez was allowed to make a telephone telephone earlier being taken to nan Doña Ana County Detention Center (DACDC). 

He told nan agents that nan telephone he wanted to usage was not among nan devices recovered. Video calls from DACDC later showed Nancy Cano holding a achromatic iPhone believed to beryllium Ortega’s 4th phone, prosecutors said.

During a March 7 telephone pinch Ortega-Lopez, Nancy Cano allegedly utilized nan instrumentality to interaction personification named "Michelle" via WhatsApp, earlier facilitating a FaceTime call betwixt Michelle and Ortega-Lopez utilizing her individual phone.

In an April 20 call, Nancy Cano and Ortega-Lopez discussed deleting his Facebook account, which he allegedly utilized to stock incriminating content, including pack affiliations and images pinch guns.

Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his wife, Nancy Cano, 67, allegedly harbored Cristhian Ortega-Lopez. (U.S. District Court for nan District of New Mexico)

On April 24, national agents searched nan Cano location to find Ortega-Lopez's missing phone. During questioning, Joel Cano admitted smashing nan instrumentality pinch a hammer 5 weeks earlier because he believed it contained incriminating photos and videos of Ortega-Lopez pinch guns, and throwing it into a dumpster, said Bondi. 

A forensic study of nan recovered phones revealed messages linked to Ortega’s alleged criminal activities, including links pinch nan TdA pack and images of him pinch guns, authorities said. 

Joel and Nancy Cano look up to 15 years successful prison. 

FBI ARRESTS WISCONSIN JUDGE, ALLEGING SHE OBSTRUCTED ARREST OF ILLEGAL ALIEN

"The norm of rule is very simple: It doesn't matter what statement of activity you're in. If you break nan law, we will travel nan facts, and we will prosecute you," Bondi said successful a video connection Friday.

Another judge arrested for allegedly interfering successful nan apprehension of an forbidden migrant successful Wisconsin besides faces national charges. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, 65, allegedly confronted national agents wrong a courthouse April 18 and ordered them to time off arsenic they were trying to apprehension Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national who was antecedently deported and precocious charged pinch aggregate counts of home abuse-related battery.

Flores-Ruiz allegedly punched a man 30 times and struck a woman, Bondi said. Both victims were successful tribunal erstwhile Dugan learned that ICE was extracurricular to apprehension him. 

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan being arrested Friday.  (Obtained by Fox News)

"After being made alert of a valid migration apprehension warrant, Judge Dugan told agents that they needed a judicial warrant and demanded that they spell to nan Chief Judge’s office, nan Justice Department said successful a news merchandise Friday. "Once nan agents were nary longer successful nan vicinity of her courtroom, Judge Dugan allegedly elected not to behaviour a proceeding connected Flores-Ruiz’s criminal lawsuit contempt nan truth that victims of his discourtesy were coming and alternatively personally escorted Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer done a restricted ‘jury door’ exit not typically utilized by defendants aliases attorneys."

The doorway led to a nonpublic hallway, which Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer utilized to time off Dugan's courtroom, prosecutors said. He was yet arrested extracurricular the courthouse aft a little ft chase. 

Dugan is charged pinch obstruction of proceedings earlier a section aliases agency of nan United States and concealing a personification to forestall arrest. She faces up to six years successful prison. 

Mexican nationalist Eduardo Flores-Ruiz is an forbidden migrant who Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of helping evade apprehension by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. (DHS/Milwaukee Independent via AP)

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Flores-Ruiz was antecedently deported successful 2013 and reentered nan U.S. illegally, authorities said. 

"Sanctuary jurisdictions that shield criminal aliens endanger American communities," said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "This Justice Department will not guidelines by arsenic section officials put authorities complete nationalist safety. Reckless sanctuary metropolis policies create a sanctuary for 1 people — criminals. Those days are over."