The New Mexico Supreme Court permanently banned former Judge Jose ‘Joel’ Cano from judicial office after an alleged Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested at his residence.
Cano, a Democrat who had served on the bench since 2011, had previously written a letter of resignation within days of 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez’s arrest at a small home owned by him and his wife, Nancy.
A Justice Department press release indicates an investigation began in January of 2025, courtesy of an anonymous tip, that an illegal alien with suspected ties to the violent Tren de Aragua gang had been “residing with other illegal aliens in Las Cruces.”
Upon execution of a search warrant at the Cano family location, Ortega-Lopez was found to have possessed and used “multiple firearms,” several of which he could be seen with in social media postings.
The release states that he is…
