{"id":30376,"date":"2025-05-31T03:30:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T03:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=30376"},"modified":"2025-05-31T03:30:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T03:30:10","slug":"former-new-mexico-judge-and-wife-arrested-in-federal-investigation-tied-to-alleged-gang-member-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=30376","title":{"rendered":"Former New Mexico Judge and Wife Arrested in Federal Investigation Tied to Alleged Gang Member"},"content":{"rendered":"

A former magistrate judge from Do\u00f1a Ana County, New Mexico, and his wife were taken into custody following a federal raid at their home in Las Cruces.<\/p>\n

The arrest of Joel Cano, who previously served as a judge, and his wife Nancy Cano is linked to accusations of tampering with evidence in a case involving an undocumented immigrant with suspected gang affiliations.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

According to court records, the couple is accused of harboring Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national believed to have ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, a criminal organization known to operate across Latin America.<\/p>\n

Ortega-Lopez was reportedly hired by Nancy Cano to work on their property and later allowed to live in a guesthouse on the premises.<\/p>\n

Authorities say the investigation began in February when Ortega-Lopez was detained at the Cano residence.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

He had entered the U.S. illegally in December 2023 near Eagle Pass, Texas, and was later released due to overcrowding at a Border Patrol facility, pending immigration proceedings.<\/p>\n

Evidence allegedly linking Ortega-Lopez to the Tren de Aragua included clothing, tattoos, and digital communications, such as voicemails and text messages.<\/p>\n

Further searches led to the discovery of firearms at the home of the couple\u2019s daughter, April Cano, with social media posts showing Ortega-Lopez posing with some of the weapons.<\/p>\n

Ortega-Lopez now faces federal charges for firearm possession while being unlawfully in the country, which carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison under federal law.<\/p>\n

Joel Cano resigned from his judicial role earlier this year, and the New Mexico Supreme Court has since barred him from holding any future judicial office in the state.<\/p>\n

The case has sparked broader concerns over judicial accountability and the role of public officials in upholding the law. Local and federal authorities<\/p>\n

have emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to legal standards, particularly when it involves individuals in positions of trust.<\/p>\n

The Department of Homeland Security has also reported ongoing efforts to crack down on gang-related activities and address concerns over leaked information that may have compromised enforcement operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A former magistrate judge from Do\u00f1a Ana County, New Mexico, and his wife were taken into custody following a federal raid at their home in Las Cruces…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30377,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-30376","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer New Mexico Judge and Wife Arrested in Federal Investigation Tied to Alleged Gang Member - POPULARNEWS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/popularnews.pw\/?page_id=30376\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former New Mexico Judge and Wife Arrested in Federal Investigation Tied to Alleged Gang Member - 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