Joel Cano, Democratic Judge, Arrested Over Link to Venezuelan Gang Members

A former Democratic judge and his wife were detained by federal agents during a raid on their New Mexico home on Thursday.

Joel and Nancy Cano are facing charges of evidence tampering and hosting three people with alleged links to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, including a man named Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, who was detained for being in the U.S. illegally, according to FOX14.

The case is being led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a law enforcement branch within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

Newsweek contacted ICE for comment on Friday outside of regular working hours.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election with a pledge to crack down sharply on illegal migration into the U.S. Following his inauguration on January 20, he declared a national emergency at the southern border and strengthened immigration enforcement.

Trump has sought to paint his Democratic opponents as sympathetic to illegal migration, and the arrest of Joel and Nancy Cano will be seized upon by the president's supporters. Venezuelan migrants have been in the spotlight since Trump's administration declared Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.

What To Know

The New Mexico Supreme Court permanently barred Cano from serving on the bench after he resigned in March following the arrest of Ortega-Lopez at his home, KRQE reported. He had served as a magistrate judge in Doña Ana County since 2011.

According to the Justice Department, investigators discovered social media posts showing Ortega-Lopez posing with multiple firearms. Some of the weapons were allegedly provided by April Cano, Joel Cano's daughter, who "allowed him to hold and sometimes shoot various firearms," the agency stated.

Ortega-Lopez was initially arrested in February at the Cano residency. According to court documents seen by Fox News, he was first hired by Nancy Cano to conduct home repairs and later took up residence in the property's guest house.

He has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as an illegal alien, a crime that comes with a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Court papers also indicate that Ortega-Lopez was previously detained in December 2023 after being accused of entering the U.S. illegally near Eagle Pass in Texas. He was later released due to overcrowding at a Border Patrol detention facility and given a Notice to Appear, indicating the launch of deportation proceedings.

According to ICE officers, Ortega-Lopez was linked to the Tren de Aragua gang by tattoos, clothing and social media posts. Law enforcement allege they recovered voicemails and text messages connecting him to gang activity.

What People Are Saying

Jason Stevens, HSI's special agent in charge for El Paso, said in a statement: "Initially we came back here to arrest his wife and as we started obviously conducting our interviews and started looking at evidence, we subsequently arrested Mr. Cano as well."

Former ICE field office director John Fabbricatore told local network WPMI: "Doña Ana County has been a hotbed of illegal immigration and drug trafficking, human smuggling for many, many years.

"To see that a judge would allow this to happen. It's very concerning. It's concerning. What else has the judge been doing?"

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday: "Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang.

"If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That's a promise."

What Happens Next

HSI is continuing to lead the investigation into the case.

Joel and Nancy Cano currently remain in custody at the Doña Ana County Detention Center.