Dem judge resigns after ICE arrests suspected Tren de Aragua gangster at his home

A Democrat judge in New Mexico resigned last month just days after a suspected member of the violent Tren de Aragua gang was arrested at his residence.

On March 3, Judge Jose "Joel" Cano, magistrate of Doña Ana County, sent a letter to various court staff, including 3rd Judicial District Chief Judge Conrad Perea, announcing that he would step down from his seat effective March 21.

"Working with each of you has been a very rewarding experience for which I will remain eternally grateful," he wrote, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Just three days before Cano sent the resignation letter, on February 28, ICE agents conducted a search warrant on his home in connection with Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a 23-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela and suspected TDA gangster who was living there.

Ortega-Lopez broke into the U.S. by scaling a barbed-wire fence near Eagle Pass, Texas, at the height of the Biden border crisis in December 2023, Breitbart reported, citing court documents. He spent three days at a detention facility in South Laredo before he was released because of overcrowding.

He then moved in with five other people in El Paso and began working in construction and doing other odd jobs. At some point, he crossed paths with Nancy Cano, wife of ex-Judge Cano, who offered Ortega-Lopez the chance to live in a casita behind the home the couple shares in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Ortega-Lopez apparently accepted the offer because last April, he filed a request for immigration relief and listed the judge's address as his current residence. Breitbart indicated that the judge "allowed" him to do so.

Judge Damian Martinez initially opted to release him, reportedly stating that he did not believe Judge Cano 'would just let anybody live in his property.'

Far from mere casual acquaintances, Ortega-Lopez and Cano apparently spent considerable time together. Prosecutors introduced photos and videos posted to social media that showed the two posing together.

What's more, the photos and videos revealed that on at least one occasion, Ortega-Lopez and several other illegal aliens went to the local gun range, where they fired various firearms. One photo reportedly showed Ortega-Lopez double-fisting an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, while in another photo, he allegedly handled another AR-style rifle outfitted with a suppressor.

Video footage also showed Ortega-Lopez firing the rifle until it ran out of bullets, according to Breitbart. He then reloaded the gun with a fresh magazine and proceeded to fire it again.

During their investigation, agents discovered a cache of weapons at the nearby home of April Cano, identified as Nancy Cano's daughter. Prosecutors alleged that after meeting Ortega-Lopez, April Cano "allowed him to hold and sometimes shoot various firearms" she owns.

In some of the social media photos, Ortega-Lopez can be seen holding some of April Cano's firearms, the Journal said. His TDA tattoos are reportedly visible in both the photos and videos.

Ortega-Lopez's cell phone also contains images of decapitated and mutilated bodies, reported Breitbart, which claimed to have viewed the gruesome images.

Ortega-Lopez was arrested on February 28 and currently faces a federal charge of unlawful alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At a detention hearing on March 14, U.S. Magistrate Judge Damian Martinez initially opted to release him, reportedly stating that he did not believe Judge Cano "would just let anybody live in his property."

Prosecutors immediately filed an appeal of his release and included the quotation from Judge Martinez in their motion.

Martinez also reportedly wanted to consider whether Mrs. Cano might be considered a third-party custodian of Ortega-Lopez.

For now, Ortega-Lopez remains in custody without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center for "violation [of] federal immigration laws," jail records show.

Joel and Nancy Cano declined a request for comment from the Journal, claiming they did not want to jeopardize any of Ortega-Lopez's pending legal cases. Whether any of the Canos will face charges on account of their association with Ortega-Lopez remains unclear.

Joel Cano is a former police officer who first ran for the county magistrate position as a Democrat in 2010. He then kept his seat by running unopposed in subsequent elections, including his most recent re-election in 2022.

Earlier this year, the U.S. government declared Tren de Aragua to be a foreign terrorist organization.

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