State Supreme Court Bans Judge Over Alleged Gang Member Link

Immigration Reporter

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A former judge who resigned last month after a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested at his home is now permanently barred from ever serving on a New Mexico bench again.

The Supreme Court of New Mexico ordered that Joel Cano "can never hold a judicial office again, be a candidate for a judicial office, and cannot exercise any judicial authority in the state, including officiating at weddings," according to Fox News Digital.

The court had been set to hear oral arguments on disciplinary cases this Thursday, but the hearing has since been canceled.

Why It Matters

Cano, who had served as a magistrate judge in Doña Ana County since 2011, submitted his resignation dated March 3; however, officials said it was not received by the Supreme Court and the 3rd Judicial District Court until March 31.

The decision followed the February 28 arrest of 23-year-old Venezuelan national Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, who was taken into custody at a Las Cruces home owned by Cano and his wife, Nancy, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Ortega-Lopez is suspected of having ties to the notorious Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua.

Venezuelan immigrants have been in the spotlight after President Donald Trump's administration declared Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization

What To Know

The arrest stemmed from a Homeland Security Investigations probe launched in January, which revealed that Ortega-Lopez—who illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico in December 2023—was living with other undocumented migrants and had access to firearms.

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

In his resignation letter to 3rd Judicial District Chief Judge Conrad Perea, Cano wrote, "Working with each of you has been a very rewarding experience for which I will remain eternally grateful," according to Fox News. Cano's 14-year run on the bench followed a career in law enforcement.

"Social media evidence showed Ortega-Lopez in possession of multiple firearms at a shooting range in Las Cruces," the Justice Department noted. "It is unlawful for any illegal migrant to be in possession of a gun in the U.S."

On February 28, investigators served two search warrants at a property identified as belonging to Nancy Cano. During the operation, Ortega-Lopez and his roommates were taken into custody, and agents seized four firearms from April Cano's residence.

Investigators also uncovered social media posts featuring Ortega-Lopez posing with firearms. He said that some of the weapons belonged to April Cano, who "allowed him to hold and sometimes shoot various firearms."

Under U.S. federal law, individuals who are in the country illegally are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.

In a 2024 immigration relief application, Ortega-Lopez listed the Cano residence as his address. Investigators later discovered that he had initially met Nancy Cano while doing handyman work. After being evicted from his apartment, he moved into a guesthouse on the property.

Although facing allegations, Ortega-Lopez was initially released under supervision, with a motion to reconsider his release filed in early April.

New Mexico Republicans called for better accountability and reforms following the resignation of Joel Cano.

What People Are Saying

Amy Barela, chairwoman of the Republican Party of New Mexico said in a statement shared with Newsweek. "The people of New Mexico are tired of a system where the powerful don't play by their own rules.

"We demand real accountability for Judge Cano's connection to a gang-affiliated criminal and full transparency on how our judiciary is being held to the same laws as the rest of us. Enough is enough."

President Donald Trump, in a proclamation regarding Tren de Aragua, said: "Tren de Aragua is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization with thousands of members, many of whom have unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States."

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday: "Yet ANOTHER internal component of the federal government that acknowledges the reality; Tren de Aragua is not an arm of Venezuela and it's not 'invading' the country. Trump's lawless Alien Enemies Act declaration cannot stand."