A previous New Mexico court and his spouse presumably attempted to conceal incriminating photos and video clips of an illegal alien thought to be a participant of Venezuela’s infamous Tren de Aragua gang and nurtured various other travelers, the Justice Department claimed Friday.
Former Do ña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his spouse, Nancy Cano, 67, were apprehended Thursday after government representatives invaded their Las Cruces home. The set face costs of proof meddling amidst accusations they nurtured Cristhian Ortega-Lopez
“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,” claimed united stateAttorney Ryan Ellison
“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.”
EX-NEW MEXICO COURT, BETTER HALF ARRESTED FOR PURPORTEDLY NURTURING PROHIBITED TREN DE ARAGUA PARTICIPANT
An HSI representative companions previous Do ña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano out of his home Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Courtesy of K14)
Ortega-Lopez was placed on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) radar after an informant claimed he remained in the united state unlawfully and had weapons. He originally went into the nationDec 15, 2023, near Eagle Pass,Texas He was nabbed and launched because of congestion at the united state Border Patrol center.
Ortega-Lopez evidently uploaded numerous photos and video clips on social networks revealing him with various other illegal aliens managing weapons at a shooting variety in Las Cruces, government district attorneys claimed. Among the tools were a SIG Sauer P365 handgun, an AR-15 rifle geared up with a suppressor and various other high-powered weapons and ammo.
BRAND-NEW MEXICO COURT SURRENDERS AFTER ALLEGED TDA PARTICIPANT ARRESTED AT HIS HOME
His social networks task exposed material recommending connections with the Venezuelan gang, consisting of gang-related tattoos, hand motions and apparel, district attorneys claimed. He additionally buffooned a $5,000 incentive to capture TdA participants, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed.
Among the photos were additionally 2 individuals that were guillotined, she claimed.
In January, government representatives obtained a suggestion that Ortega-Lopez was dealing with various other illegal aliens on a building coming from Cano, that was still a court at the time, and his spouse.
Authorities confiscated 4 weapons throughout aFeb 28 search of the residential or commercial property.
Former Do ña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his spouse, Nancy Cano, 67, are implicated of harboring Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an illegal alien and supposed participant of Venezuela’s infamous Tren de Aragua gang. ( UNITED STATE District Court for the District of New Mexico; UNITED STATE Immigration and Customs Enforcement )
The 4 weapons, together with 3 cellular phones coming from Ortega-Lopez, were taken, and he was apprehended. During the search, Ortega-Lopez was permitted to make a call prior to being required to the Do ña Ana County Detention Center (DACDC).
He informed the representatives that the phone he wished to utilize was not amongst the tools recuperated. Video calls from DACDC later on revealed Nancy Cano holding a black apple iphone thought to be Ortega’s 4th phone, district attorneys claimed.
During a March 7 phone call with Ortega-Lopez, Nancy Cano presumably utilized the tool to call a person called “Michelle” by means of WhatsApp, prior to helping with a FaceTime phone call in between Michelle and Ortega-Lopez utilizing her individual phone.
In an April 20 phone call, Nancy Cano and Ortega-Lopez gone over removing his Facebook account, which he presumably utilized to share incriminating web content, consisting of gang associations and photos with weapons.
Former Do ña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his spouse, Nancy Cano, 67, presumably nurtured Cristhian Ortega-Lopez ( UNITED STATE District Court for the District of New Mexico)
On April 24, government representatives browsed the Cano home to find Ortega-Lopez’s missing out on phone. During examining, Joel Cano confessed shattering the tool with a hammer 5 weeks previously due to the fact that he thought it included incriminating images and video clips of Ortega-Lopez with weapons, and tossing it right into a dumpster, claimedBondi
A forensic evaluation of the recuperated phones exposed messages connected to Ortega’s declared criminal tasks, consisting of relate to the TdA gang and pictures of him with weapons, authorities claimed.
Joel and Nancy Cano confront 15 years behind bars.
FBI APPREHENSIONS WISCONSIN COURT, DECLARING SHE OBSTRUCTED APPREHENSION OF ILLEGAL ALIEN
“The rule of law is very simple: It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in. If you break the law, we will follow the facts, and we will prosecute you,” Bondi claimed in a video clip message Friday.
Another court apprehended for presumably conflicting in the apprehension of an illegal alien in Wisconsin additionally deals with government costs. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, 65, presumably challenged government representatives inside a court house April 18 and bought them to leave as they were attempting to jail Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican resident that was formerly deported and lately billed with numerous matters of residential abuse-related battery.
Flores-Ruiz presumably punched a guy 30 times and struck a lady, Bondi claimed. Both targets remained in court when Dugan discovered that ICE was outdoors to jail him.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan being apprehendedFriday (Obtained by Fox News)
“After being made aware of a valid immigration arrest warrant, Judge Dugan told agents that they needed a judicial warrant and demanded that they go to the Chief Judge’s office, the Justice Department said in a news release Friday. “Once the representatives were no more at her court, Judge Dugan presumably chose not to perform a hearing on Flores-Ruiz’s criminal instance although that targets of his violation existed and rather directly accompanied Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer via a limited ‘jury door’ departure not normally utilized by accuseds or lawyers.”
The doorway led to a nonpublic hallway, which Flores-Ruiz and his attorney used to leave Dugan’s courtroom, prosecutors said. He was eventually arrested outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase.
Dugan is charged with obstruction of proceedings before a department or agency of the United States and concealing a person to prevent arrest. She faces up to six years in prison.
Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz is an illegal immigrant who Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of helping evade arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. (DHS/Milwaukee Independent via AP)
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Flores-Ruiz was previously deported in 2013 and reentered the U.S. illegally, authorities said.
“Sanctuary territories that protect criminal aliens jeopardize American neighborhoods,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department will certainly not wait as neighborhood authorities placed national politics over public security. Reckless haven city plans produce a refuge for one course– wrongdoers. Those days more than.”
