New Mexico Judge Resigns After Alleged TdA Member Arrested at His Home

A New Mexico judge resigned from the bench after an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested at his home.

Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano’s resignation letter is dated March 3 {snip}.

Back in January, Homeland Security Investigations Las Cruces began looking into Venezuelan native Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, “an illegal alien from Venezuela and a suspected member of a criminal gang” who was “residing with other illegal aliens” and “in possession of firearms,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

On Feb. 28, two search warrants were executed at a home investigators identified as owned by Cano’s wife, Nancy Cano. Ortega-Lopez and his roommates were taken into custody, and agents “seized four firearms from April Cano’s residence.” April Cano is the daughter of Nancy and Joel, court documents state.

Ortega-Lopez was found by investigators posing with weapons in social media posts, some of which he said were owned by April Cano {snip}.

Ortega-Lopez admitted to illegally entering the U.S. from Mexico in December 2023, according to court documents. He allegedly told investigators he was living in an El Paso apartment with five others when he met Nancy Cano “to install a glass door for her.”

“He continued to do a few jobs for Nancy Cano, and after being evicted from the apartment in April, 2024, Nancy Cano offered her ‘casita’ in the back of the residence she shared with her husband Joel Cano,” court documents state.

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