A New Mexico Democrat judge, Joel Cano, stepped down from his position last month following the arrest of an alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang, who was found residing in his home.
The individual, an illegal immigrant, had initially entered the U.S. through Eagle Pass, Texas, and was later released on immigration parole due to overcrowding, eventually settling in New Mexico.
As reported by Breitbart, federal prosecutors in the District of New Mexico have accused 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez of illegal firearm possession and affiliation with the notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. This gang was recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization by President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department.
Ortega-Lopez was apprehended on February 28 during a search warrant execution at the residence of Judge Cano and his wife, Nancy, according to the Albuquerque Journal. This arrest followed a detention hearing where prosecutors argued that Ortega-Lopez, as an alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang, posed a flight risk.
Cano, who previously served as a police officer, permitted Ortega-Lopez to submit an application for immigration relief using the judge's residential address. Evidence presented in court included social media posts featuring Ortega-Lopez posing alongside the judge.
Court documents revealed that Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national, illegally entered the United States during the height of the Biden Border Crisis in December 2023. Due to the overcrowded conditions at the Eagle Pass detention facility, he was released after three days.
The U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Mexico obtained social media posts showing Ortega-Lopez and other illegal immigrants at a shooting range, brandishing multiple firearms and a significant amount of handgun and rifle ammunition. In one image, Ortega-Lopez is seen holding an AR-15-style rifle in one hand and a semi-automatic pistol in the other. A video clip showed him firing an AR-15 equipped with a suppressor, reloading it, and continuing to fire, as stated by the prosecutors.
The images and videos also revealed Ortega-Lopez sporting Tren de Aragua gang tattoos. This gang was recently classified as a Transnational Criminal Organization by the United States government.
Further investigations led to the discovery of additional firearms in a nearby house owned by Nancy Cano's daughter, with Ortega-Lopez seen in possession of several of these weapons.
After his release by Border Patrol agents, Ortega-Lopez relocated to El Paso, where he shared a residence with five other individuals, according to court documents. During his time there, he met Nancy Cano and began working on construction and handyman jobs for her. Subsequently, Cano invited the illegal immigrant to live in a casita located behind her home.
Graphic images of decapitated and mutilated bodies were found on Ortega-Lopezs cell phone, as obtained by Breitbart.
Currently, Ortega-Lopez is being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center, facing charges of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms.
The fate of Judge Cano and his wife, Nancy, remains uncertain, with no clarity on whether they will face charges for harboring an illegal alien or providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
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