A New Mexico judge resigned last month following the detention of a man with alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua gang at his residence during a federal raid in late February.
According to court documents, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security arrested 23-year-old Venezuelan national Cristhian Ortega-Lopez at the home of former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose “Joel” Cano on February 28.
Authorities also seized four firearms from the residence of Cano’s daughter after obtaining search warrants based on social media evidence linking Ortega-Lopez to Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan prison gang.
Cano, a Democrat who had served on the bench since 2011, submitted his resignation on March 3—just days after the raid. His letter made no mention of the arrest.
“Working with each of you has been a very rewarding experience for which I will remain eternally grateful,” Cano wrote in the letter, obtained by The Post. “All the best to every one of you. I wish all of you a happy retirement once you are ready yourself.”
Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose “Joel” Cano resigned just days after a suspected member of a Venezuelan gang was discovered living in his home.
A spokesperson for New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts said the state Supreme Court and the Third Judicial District Court—where Cano served—did not receive his resignation until March 31.
Details about the suspected gang member living in Cano’s home first emerged in court documents filed to justify the continued detention of Ortega-Lopez. The case has since attracted attention in local media, including coverage by the Albuquerque Journal.
Ortega-Lopez reportedly began interacting with Cano’s family over a year ago after assisting the judge’s wife with installing a glass door and performing other odd jobs.
Cristhian Ortega-Lopez admitted to entering the United States illegally in 2023.
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By April 2024, Ortega-Lopez had been evicted from an El Paso apartment he shared with five others. In response, Nancy Cano—the judge’s wife—offered him a place to stay in the “casita” on the family’s property in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
While living there, Ortega-Lopez appeared to grow close to the judge’s daughter, April Cano, who, according to court records, owned a significant number of firearms and allowed him access to some of them.
Ortega-Lopez, who had entered the U.S. illegally in 2023 and was later released from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility due to overcrowding, admitted he was aware that his immigration status prohibited him from possessing firearms.
A New Mexico judge stepped down after a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua gang was taken into custody at his residence.
Court documents requesting the continued detention of Ortega-Lopez first revealed that the suspected gang member had been living in Cano’s residence.
According to court documents, Ortega-Lopez admitted to illegally entering the U.S. after climbing over a barbed-wire fence near Eagle Pass, Texas.
Authorities received a tip about him and later uncovered social media photos showing Ortega-Lopez with tattoos, clothing, and hand gestures “commonly associated” with the Tren de Aragua gang, the filings state.
Prosecutors included images of his tattoos and other materials as evidence supporting their claim that he is affiliated with the gang.
Cristhian Ortega-Lopez seen holding a firearm, as shown in court documents.
“The defendant poses a danger to the community as a member of the U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, Tren de Aragua, and regularly associates with other members,” prosecutors stated in a filing seeking to keep him detained.
Ortega-Lopez was arrested along with three other Venezuelan migrants as part of an operation by Homeland Security Investigations.
The Post was unable to reach Joel Cano for comment.
“Governor will appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the judge’s unexpired four-year term, which runs through the end of 2026,” Barry Massey, a spokesperson for New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts, told The Post.
“Magistrate court judges are elected, and the position will be on the ballot in 2026.”
Ortega-Lopez faces charges for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.
