Former Judge Arrested After Alleged Gang Member Lived At His Home

[Ray Bogan]

A erstwhile New Mexico judge and his woman were taken into custody by national authorities Thursday aft letting an alleged Tren de Aragua pack personnel unrecorded successful their home.

The section TV position KFox 14 was connected segment arsenic Former Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose Cano and his woman Nancy were arrested aft ICE executed a hunt warrant and probable origin apprehension warrant.

Jose Cano was charged pinch tampering pinch grounds and Nancy Cano was charged pinch conspiracy to tamper. Cano resigned arsenic a region magistrate judge successful March and nan New Mexico Supreme Court subsequently barred him from holding judicial agency ever again.

Court documents uncover nan Canos allowed Christian Ortega-Lopez, an alleged Tren de Aragua pack member, to unrecorded successful a workplace flat connected their spot for astir 11 months.

Ortega-Lopez is charged pinch unlawful alien successful possession of a firearm. Court records show he entered nan United States illegally successful December 2023 and was released from Border Patrol custody owed to overcrowding astatine nan facility.

The tribunal records authorities Homeland Security Investigations received a extremity astir Ortega-Lopez and opened an investigation.

Agents discovered that he posted photos of himself astatine a shooting scope pinch different immigrants successful nan region illegally.

They said they had grounds that nan group was surviving astatine nan Cano residence. They said they recovered firearms astatine Cano’s daughter’s house. They besides said nan immigrants had tattoos, clothing and displayed manus gestures commonly associated pinch Tren de Aragua.

On February 20, Tren de Aragua was put connected nan authorities department’s database of overseas violent organizations. On March 15, Trump signed an executive bid invoking nan Alien Enemies Act, instructing national authorities to find and region Tren de Aragua members from nan United States.

The cases against nan Canos and Ortega-Lopez are ongoing. Ortega-Lopez was successful national tribunal trying to get nan venue for his migration lawsuit moved from Denver to El Paso. The Canos had been supporting him passim that effort.