Latest news with #Ortega-Lopez
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Epoch Times
Former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano, Wife Released on Bond
A former New Mexico county judge and his wife were released on $10,000 bonds on Tuesday after they were arrested in connection with federal charges of tampering with evidence in an immigration and gang-related case. In a Tuesday hearing, Magistrate Judge Gregory Fouratt ordered the release of former Dona Ana County Magistrate Court Judge Joel Cano and his wife after they secured bonds of $10,000 each, according to local reporters who were in the courthouse. 'I want you to have a chance to convince any other judge you see' that their decisions made in connection with the case were outside of their normal 'decision-making,' Fouratt said in the hearing. Cano and his wife, Nancy, were In a criminal complaint, prosecutors accused the judge of destroying a phone with a hammer and that the device may have contained photos of Ortega-Lopez possessing weapons, which may have belonged to the judge, his wife, and daughter. Officials with Homeland Security Related Stories 4/30/2025 4/30/2025 Nancy Cano was charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence, prosecutors say. A criminal complaint filed in her case accused her of telling Ortega-Lopez to delete his Facebook account where he may have posted photos with weapons. On Tuesday, Fouratt also ordered that anyone who is a tenant or a guest on their properties must provide proof they are a legal resident of the United States, The judge also told the Canos they must provide the court with any address changes, surrender their passports, not associate with Ortega-Lopez, and avoid contact with potential witnesses, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that Ortega-Lopez showed signs of being in a gang or affiliated with criminal activity, including a necklace that said 'kill' and that said 'something about death.' He also had pictures on his cellphone of 'two decapitated victims' and was 'sending them out' to other individuals, the attorney general said. The Canos 'were allegedly giving him assault rifles, AK-47s, AR-15s with a suppresser, a known [Tren de Aragua] member, letting him go to a shooting range to refine and perfect his shooting skills,' Bondi added in the interview. 'What has happened to our judiciary is beyond me.' The Canos had been in custody at the Dona Ana County Detention Center since April 25, Around the same time he was arrested, Cano told local media that he would never put his family at risk if he thought there would be any danger. 'Their papers stated in the upper right-hand corner, 'This Person is Not Subject to Removal.' They each had a specific court date regarding their asylum hearing,' Cano told local news The New Mexico Supreme Court last week issued an order barring Cano, who had resigned from his position in March, from being a member of the state judiciary in any capacity, including officiating at weddings. The now-former judge 'shall never again hold, become a candidate for, run for, or stand for election to any New Mexico judicial office in the future,' the ruling said. In the case, the Canos have yet to enter pleas for their charges, and it's not clear whether they have attorneys.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Feds arrest former New Mexico judge and wife for alleged evidence tampering in immigration case
Jose Luis 'Joel' Cano and Nancy Cano. (Photos courtesy of the Doña Ana County Detention Center) Federal authorities arrested a former New Mexico magistrate judge and his wife on April 24 on criminal charges of evidence tampering related to the prosecution of an alleged gang member from Venezuela. The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday announced it had charged former Doña Ana County Magistrate Jose Luis 'Joel' Cano with one count of evidence tampering and his wife Nancy Cano with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Prosecutors allege that Jose Cano told Homeland Security Investigations agents that he had destroyed a cell phone belonging to Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national prosecutors allege has ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. HSI in February searched the Canos' home and arrested Ortega-Lopez for illegal possession of guns and ammunition, according to the DOJ's news release. The DOJ said agents seized three of Ortega-Lopez's cell phones, but he told them about a fourth one, which prompted another search wherein Cano allegedly admitted to destroying it with a hammer. 'Judges are responsible for upholding our country's laws. It is beyond egregious for a former judge and his wife to engage in evidence tampering on behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member accused of illegally possessing firearms,' U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico said in a statement. 'The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to dismantling this foreign terrorist organization by disrupting its criminal operations in New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support gang members — including judges.' The DOJ announced the charges against the Canos in the same news release in which they announced the arrest of a Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah C. Dugan for allegedly allowing a Mexican immigrant charged with domestic violence to temporarily avoid arrest by federal agents. 'The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations,' U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. 'Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law. The Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts — no one is above the law.' In the New Mexico case, immigration authorities arrested Ortega-Lopez in December 2023 in Texas for unlawfully entering the U.S., and released him in April 2024 because of overcrowding at the detention center where he was being held, according to court records. An anonymous source in January tipped off the Homeland Security Investigations office in Las Cruces that Ortega-Lopez and two others were living in an apartment behind the Canos' home, an HSI special agent wrote in an application for a search warrant. The Judicial Standards Commission on March 5 petitioned the Supreme Court to suspend Cano for allegedly committing misconduct by allowing three members of the gang to live on his property in Las Cruces and to have access to firearms. In a response, Jose Cano wrote to the Supreme Court justices that Ortega-Lopez told Nancy Cano that the trio 'all had their legal papers to remain in the U.S. pending their Asylum Court hearings, which were already scheduled,' and that he had verified their court dates. Jose Cano resigned as a magistrate judge on March 21, according to court records. The New Mexico Supreme Court on April 22 barred Cano from holding any judicial office or exercising any judicial authority. Both Canos are scheduled for preliminary and detention hearings Tuesday morning in federal court in Las Cruces. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Int'l Business Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Former New Mexico Judge Admits To Destroying Evidence Related To Tren de Aragua Member Living In His House
Joel Cano, the now former New Mexico judge arrested for allegedly assisting a member of Venezuelan-born gang Tren de Aragua, admitted to destroying evidence related to the case. Cano, now in federal custody along with his wife Nancy, was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents last Thursday following an investigation related to an alleged Venezuelan gang member living with them. The man in question is Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, who was arrested in February on suspicion of having entered the country unlawfully and having ties with the gang. As days progress, new evidence related to their actions is emerging. Cano, now disbarred, admitted that he destroyed a phone belonging to Ortega-Lopez that was still in his home and may have contained more damning evidence. A search warrant had been issued for the phone in March, a month after Ortega-Lopez's arrest. Cano is now also facing charges of tampering with evidence, asides from assisting the alleged gang member. Nancy Cano, on her end, is accused of conspiracy to tamper with evidence after news surfaced that she sought to help the Venezuelan man delete his Facebook attempt, which also had evidence relevant to a case against Ortega-Lopez. The Venezuelan man has been charged for unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition. He made it into law enforcement's radar after posting photos and videos at what looked like a shooting range holding guns. Officials said tattoos, clothing and hand gestures of his are "commonly associated" with Tren de Aragua. The gang, however, has no known tattoo identifiers. Cano has denied any wrongdoing and claimed he had no knowledge of Ortega-Lopez's alleged gang ties. "The very first time I ever heard that (the men) could possibly have any association with Tren de Aragua was when I was informed of that by (the) agents on the day of the raid," he said in a statement. "This is the last person we want in our country, nor will we ever tolerate a judge or anyone else harboring them," said Attorney General Pam Bondi when discussing the case. The Trump administration has designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organizatoin and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to transfer the migrants to an infamous high-security prison in El Salvador. The decision, however, has been met with numerous legal challenges over a lack of due process. Critics have questioned the administration's insistence that all deported individuals were gang members. Several deportees and their families have denied any involvement, saying that they were taken under feeble pretenses, including tattoos, clothing and hand gestures. Originally published on Latin Times
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-New Mexico judge arrested for helping illegal migrant
April 26 (UPI) -- Federal authorities have arrested a former Magistrate Court Judge in New Mexico for allegedly helping an undocumented migrant, while also confirming charges against a Milwaukee judge arrested earlier for similar reasons. "No one is above the law," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement issued by the Justice Department. Former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano and his wife Nancy Cano were arrested earlier this week, for allegedly providing housing to Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an undocumented Venezuelan national on a property the couple owned. Officials contend Ortega-Lopez has gang ties the two were aware of but ignored. "The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations," Bondi said in the statement. "Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law. The Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts -- no one is above the law," she said. Ortega-Lopez was arrested with several other people at the end of February at a property owned by the Cano's near Las Cruces, N.M. Authorities also recovered several firearms at the time. Officials contend Ortega-Lopez has ties to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States. Jose Cano faces one count of tampering with evidence while Nancy Cano was charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Both face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Authorities also officially confirmed charges against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan who was arrested in her courtroom Friday. Dugan is charged with one count of "obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States" and one additional count of "concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest," for helping Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz avoid detention at the courthouse last week. The two charges carry maximum prison sentences of five years and one year respectively. FBI Director Kash Patel initially confirmed the arrest on X Friday before deleting the post, which later reappeared. Patel also posted Friday evening a photo of Dugan in handcuffs. "We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject -- an illegal alien -- to evade arrest," Patel wrote in the social media post, which also congratulates the FBI's Milwaukee field office. Federal agents later arrested Flores-Ruiz, who had previously been removed from the United States in 2013. He faces firearm charges and a maximum 15-year prison term if convicted. President Donald Trump has made removing migrants illegally in the United States one of his administration's priorities.
CNN
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Former New Mexico judge and wife arrested on charges of tampering with evidence linked to suspected Tren de Aragua member
A former magistrate judge in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and his wife are accused of tampering with evidence linked to the arrest of an undocumented migrant suspected of being a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to two criminal complaints filed Friday. Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose Luis Cano, also known as Joel Cano, is facing a federal charge of tampering with evidence, and his wife, Nancy Cano, was charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence, court records show. CNN has reached out to their attorney for comment. The migrant, Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, is a Venezuelan who was charged earlier this year for unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition, court documents show. Homeland Security Investigations launched an investigation into Ortega-Lopez in January after receiving an anonymous tip accusing him of living with other undocumented migrants at a home owned by Nancy and Jose Cano in Las Cruces and carrying firearms, the complaints state. US Attorney General Pamela Bondi told Fox News Friday authorities got a tip the migrant had been living with the judge. 'This is the last person we want in our country, nor will we ever tolerate a judge or anyone else harboring them,' she said. Ortega-Lopez had posted photos and videos on Facebook showing him at what appears to be a shooting range in Las Cruces and observed to be holding handguns or assault-style rifles, according to the complaint against him. Investigators said they identified tattoos, clothing and hand gestures 'commonly associated' with Tren de Aragua in photos and videos posted online by Ortega-Lopez, saying this 'provide(s) strong evidence of Cristhian Ortega's potential connection' to the gang, according to the criminal complaint. Tren de Aragua is a criminal gang that originated in a Venezuelan prison and now operates in the United States. The gang has been linked to human trafficking and other crimes targeting migrants, as well as money laundering, drug smuggling, kidnapping and extortion, according to the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The former judge staunchly denied any wrongdoing and maintained he had no prior knowledge of Ortega-Lopez's alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, or of the two other men who associated with him, and defended his decision to allow the men to stay on his property, CNN affiliate KOAT reported, citing a 23-page letter previously submitted to the New Mexico Supreme Court. 'Let me be as crystal clear as possible,' Jose Luis Cano wrote, KOAT reported. 'The very first time I ever heard that (the men) could possibly have any association with Tren de Aragua was when I was informed of that by (the) agents on the day of the raid.' Two search warrants were executed on February 28, with one location being the Canos' home, and Ortega-Lopez was ultimately arrested and charged, the complaints state. Investigators found three cell phones belonging to Ortega-Lopez at the Canos' home, while four firearms were found at a separate residence that was also searched, according to the complaints. A phone call Ortega-Lopez made at the time of his arrest made investigators believe he might have another cell phone, the documents show. On April 22, investigators requested any 'recorded jail calls, messages, videos, and deposits pertaining to Ortega.' They discovered two video messages between Nancy Cano and Ortega-Lopez, which showed a fourth phone and the two discussing how to potentially delete Ortega-Lopez's Facebook accounts, the complaint against Nancy Cano states. This prompted investigators to execute a warrant at the Cano property Thursday looking for another phone owned by Ortega-Lopez, as well as a phone owned by Nancy Cano, according to the complaint. Rafael Romo reports on Venezuela's notorious gang that's victimized thousands of people across Latin America, and now operating in the U.S. During the search, Jose Luis Cano agreed to speak with investigators and told them he destroyed Ortega-Lopez's phone 'by smashing it with a hammer and discard(ing) the remaining pieces in the city trash dumpster approximately five weeks ago,' adding he thought the phone 'contained photos or videos that would reflect negatively' on Ortega-Lopez, the complaint against him stated. When questioned further, Jose Luis Cano said he destroyed the phone because he believed it contained photos of Ortega-Lopez holding firearms, the complaint stated. CNN has reached out to ICE and the US Attorney General's Office for more information on the case. The arrests of Jose Luis and Nancy Cano come after the former judge resigned from his role in March, according to court documents. On Tuesday, the New Mexico Supreme Court ordered Joel Cano never to hold or run for a New Mexico judicial office in the future, the documents stated. CNN's Hanna Park, Ray Sanchez and Rafael Romo contributed to this report.
