AG Bondi Issues Stark Warning To Rogue Judges After Another Arrest

In an interview with Fox News, Attorney General Pam Bondi exposed the extreme measures taken by New Mexico Judge Joel Cano and his wife to protect an illegal alien gang member.

"Judge Cano, soon to be former Judge Cano, got, his charges were just unsealed," Bondi explained. "He’s charged with obstruction. He admitted post-Miranda. He took one of the TDA member’s cell phones, himself, took it, beat it with a hammer, destroyed it, and then walked the pieces to a city dumpster to dispose of it to protect him."

Following these revelations, Judge Cano resigned last month. This week, the state's Supreme Court permanently prohibited him from serving as a judge again.

Bondi further revealed disturbing details during the interview, noting, "He had on his cell phone pictures of two decapitated victims… and he was sending them out and whoever he was sending them to was sending back, 'Hey, you need to be careful. You shouldn’t be texting these photos out.'"

The Attorney General also accused Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, of supplying gang member Cristhian Ortega-Lopez with assault rifles that were reportedly owned by their daughter, April Cano.

"This is the last person that we want in our country… nor will we ever tolerate a judge or anyone else harboring them," Bondi asserted.

In a stark warning to other judges who may think they can defy federal law, Bondi pointed to recent arrests of two judges who allegedly aided illegal immigrants.

"They’re deranged is all I can think of," she said on Fox News' "America Reports." "I think some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law and they are not."

She added a clear warning: "And we’re sending a very strong message today: if you are harboring a fugitive, we don’t care who you are. If you are helping hide one, if you are giving a TdA member guns, anyone who is illegally in this country, we will come after you and prosecute you. We will find you."

Bondi emphasized that "no one is above the law in this country," stressing that acts like destroying evidence or obstructing justice will not be tolerated. "If you are destroying evidence, if you are obstructing justice — when you have victims sitting in a courtroom of domestic violence and you’re escorting a criminal defendant out a back door — it will not be tolerated and it is a crime in the United States of America," she declared. "Doesn’t matter who you are, you’re going to be prosecuted."

Shortly after, the Department of Justice issued a press release outlining the charges following the judges' arrests.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, "The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations. 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."

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed these sentiments, criticizing sanctuary policies: "Sanctuary jurisdictions that shield criminal aliens endanger American communities. This Justice Department will not stand by as local officials put politics over public safety. Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class—criminals. Those days are over."

According to the press release, Nancy Ann Cano, 68, and Jose Luis Cano, 67, were arrested on charges related to tampering with evidence connected to the federal investigation of Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national unlawfully present in the United States and suspected of ties to the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico strongly condemned their actions, stating, "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. 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."

Evidence collected by federal authorities showed the defendant had shared numerous photos and videos on social media, displaying himself and other illegal aliens handling firearms at a shooting range in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The press release also stated that Judge Dugan was involved in "alleged interference with a federal law enforcement operation and unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest."