A former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge, Jose “Joel” Cano, resigned after immigration authorities detained a suspect, 23-year-old Venezuelan national Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, with alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua in his home, during a late February raid. Authorities also confiscated four firearms from the Cano’s daughter’s residence after obtaining search warrants in response to social media evidence of Ortega-Lopez’s ties to the Venezuelan prison gang. Cano, a Democrat who served as a judge since 2011, submitted his resignation letter on March 3, making no mention of the arrest in the letter.
A spokesperson for New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts stated that the state supreme court and the Third Judicial District Court did not receive Cano’s resignation until March 31. Court documents revealed that Ortega-Lopez began interacting with Cano’s family, offering odd jobs for the judge’s wife, which led to him staying in the family’s home in Las Cruces, New Mexico. During his stay, Ortega-Lopez befriended the judge’s daughter, April Cano, who had a large number of firearms and allowed him to hold onto some. Ortega-Lopez admitted to illegally entering the US in 2023 and that he knew he wasn’t allowed to possess firearms due to his status as an illegal immigrant.
Ortega-Lopez was arrested as part of an operation by Homeland Security Investigations, along with three other Venezuelan illegal migrants. Prosecutors filed to keep him detained, accusing him of being a member of the Tren de Aragua, a United States designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Evidence presented included images of Ortega-Lopez’s tattoos and other images from social media showing his association with the gang. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
The resignation of Judge Cano, which took effect at the end of April, was submitted after the incident came to light in court documents filed to keep Ortega-Lopez detained. The story gained traction in local media, including the Albuquerque Journal newspaper. Ortega-Lopez had illegally entered the US, was detained in a Customs and Border Patrol facility, but ultimately released due to overcrowding. Authorities received a tip about him and found evidence on social media of his association with the gang, leading to his arrest during the operation by Homeland Security Investigations.
Following Cano’s resignation, the governor of New Mexico will appoint someone to fill the vacancy until the end of 2026. The position of magistrate court judge is an elective one and will be on the ballot in 2026. Ortega-Lopez remains detained and faces charges related to his illegal status and possession of firearms or ammunition. The case has raised concerns about the potential dangers posed by individuals with affiliations to foreign terrorist organizations entering the US illegally, as highlighted in this particular instance with the ties to the Tren de Aragua gang.
