Law enforcement on Thursday arrested a New Mexico judge and his wife for allegedly harboring an illegal immigrant and suspected member of the Tren de Aragua gang in his home.
Video footage circulating on social media appears to show federal officers arresting Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano.
BREAKING: 🚨 Disgraced Judge Juan Cano and his wife have officially been arrested by federal authorities after knowingly harbored a TdA gang member at their home!
— Tom Homan Border Czar News Reports (@TomHoman_) April 24, 2025
Thoughts on this, America?
pic.twitter.com/3wF1ZeIir0
🚨BREAKING: Kash Patel’s FBI arrested Judge Juan Cano and his wife after they were caught hiding a Tren de Aragua gangbanger in their home.
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) April 24, 2025
How It Started 👇🏻 How It’s Going 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/Z9bAWGOLMS
This comes after Cano resigned earlier this month after federal authorities raided his home and found Christhian Ortega-Lopez, according to Fox News.
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, but a spokesman for the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) told Fox News Digital it was not received by the Supreme Court and 3rd Judicial District Court until March 31.
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.
Recommended
Investigators found Ortega-Lopez after they saw him posing with firearms in social media posts. April Cano “allowed him to hold and sometimes shoot various firearms,” the authorities alleged.
Court documents say the suspect admitted that he illegally entered the US in December 2023, Fox News reported.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received an anonymous tip about Ortega-Lopez’s presence in the judge’s home. The tipster alleged that he is a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member living at the property with other illegals.
Federal agents executed two search warrants in February at the Cano residence in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The authorities took Ortega-Lopez and two other Venezuelan nationals into custody during the raid.
Ortega-Lopez met the couple after he was released from a detention facility. He met Nancy while performing construction work in El Paso, Texas. She hired him to conduct home repairs and allowed him to live in the guesthouse.
The suspect is currently in custody at the Doña Ana County Detention Center. He faces federal charges for possessing illegal firearms and violating immigration law.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member