Dem Judge Steps Down After ICE Arrests Alleged Foreign Gang Member In His Home

A Democratic judge in New Mexico stepped down last month after U.S. immigration officials apprehended a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua gang who had been residing in his home, various sources confirmed.

The individual, reportedly in the U.S. illegally, first crossed the border at Eagle Pass, Texas. Due to overcrowding at the facility, he was released under immigration parole and later moved to New Mexico.

Federal authorities in New Mexico have charged 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez with illegal possession of a firearm and claim he is linked to Tren de Aragua—a violent Venezuelan criminal organization.

Earlier in the year, former President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department officially classified Tren de Aragua as a "foreign terrorist organization," as highlighted by Breitbart News.

Ortega-Lopez was taken into custody on February 28 during a search of the home belonging to Magistrate Judge Joel Cano of Doña Ana County and his wife, Nancy, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The arrest followed a detention hearing where federal prosecutors contended that Ortega-Lopez posed both a flight risk and a threat due to his alleged affiliation with the "violent Tren de Aragua gang."

Cano, who has a background in law enforcement, allegedly permitted Ortega-Lopez to list his home address when applying for immigration-related relief. Prosecutors presented social media images showing the suspect alongside the judge.

Court filings show Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan citizen, unlawfully entered the U.S. in December 2023, during what many described as the peak of the Biden administration’s ongoing border crisis. He was reportedly released just three days later due to capacity issues at the Eagle Pass holding center.

Images obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed Ortega-Lopez and other undocumented immigrants at a shooting range, where they appeared to be handling several firearms and large quantities of both handgun and rifle ammunition.

One picture shows Ortega-Lopez holding an "AR-15-style rifle" in one hand and a semi-automatic pistol in the other. Prosecutors said a video clip depicts him discharging another AR-15 with a suppressor, reloading mid-sequence after emptying the magazine.

The images also revealed tattoos believed to be associated with Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. State Department recently labeled a "Transnational Criminal Organization."

Further investigation led to the discovery of more firearms at an adjacent property owned by Nancy Cano’s daughter. Ortega-Lopez was seen in possession of some of those weapons as well.

According to case records, after his release by Border Patrol, Ortega-Lopez moved to El Paso and shared accommodations with five individuals. While there, he met Nancy Cano, who employed him for handyman and construction tasks. She later offered him a place to stay in a guest house located behind her residence.

Additional disturbing content retrieved from Ortega-Lopez’s phone—obtained by Breitbart—included photos of "decapitated and mutilated bodies."

He is now in custody at the Doña Ana County Detention Center, facing charges for being an undocumented immigrant in possession of firearms.

It is still undetermined whether Judge Cano or his wife will face legal consequences for possibly harboring an undocumented immigrant or offering material aid to a designated foreign terrorist entity.

In related immigration news, a liberal-leaning U.S. Supreme Court Justice sided with the current administration in a recent deportation case.

Justice Elena Kagan denied an emergency appeal from four Mexican nationals seeking to halt their deportations so they could challenge the orders, Fox News reported.

"The petitioners, Fabian Lagunas Espinoza, Maria Angelica Flores Ulloa, and their two sons, were ordered to report to immigration officials on Thursday. Their legal team argued they face cartel violence if returned to Mexico," the article noted.

Court documents claimed the family fled Guerrero, Mexico, in 2021 after being targeted by the Los Rojos drug cartel. “The petition stated that cartel members demanded the family vacate their home within 24 hours or be killed,” according to the filing.