United States Attorney General Pam Bondi exposed disturbing new details about a former New Mexico judge who allegedly went to shocking lengths to protect a known member of a violent Venezuelan gang operating inside the U.S.
Bondi revealed on Friday that Judge Joel Cano—who recently resigned from his post and has since received a lifetime ban from holding any judicial authority in New Mexico—actively destroyed evidence to shield a suspected Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang member who had been living in his family’s home.
“Judge Cano, soon to be former Judge Cano, got, his charges were just unsealed. 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,” Bondi said in an interview with Fox News.
Cano’s wife, Nancy Cano, has also been charged with destroying evidence. According to Bondi, the TDA member—identified as Cristhian Ortega-Lopez—not only had a disturbing criminal background, but was actively sharing gruesome images of decapitated victims through text messages.
Bondi continued, “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.”
WATCH:
The alleged actions of Cano and his wife have sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns about the growing influence of the Tren de Aragua gang, which has been expanding its operations across the U.S. following mass illegal migration from Venezuela.
Bondi added that Cano and his wife supplied Ortega-Lopez with assault rifles, which were reportedly owned by their daughter, April Cano. According to a criminal affidavit, Ortega-Lopez used the firearms—along with a suppressor—at a local shooting range while accompanied by other suspected TDA members.
“This is the last person that we want in our country… nor will we ever tolerate a judge or anyone else harboring them,” Bondi explained.
The backstory is as troubling as the charges. Ortega-Lopez was arrested on February 28th during a Homeland Security raid at a home owned by Nancy Cano. Authorities say the property served as a base of operations for Ortega-Lopez and other illegal aliens.
In court documents, Ortega-Lopez admitted to entering the U.S. illegally in December 2023. After being evicted from a previous apartment, Nancy Cano allegedly invited him to live in the “casita” behind her home, which she shared with her husband, Judge Joel Cano. The offer reportedly came after Ortega-Lopez had done some contract work installing a glass door for the couple.
Federal agents seized four firearms from the residence, and social media posts showed that April Cano had allowed Ortega-Lopez to handle and shoot her weapons.
Cano abruptly resigned his position in March without publicly acknowledging the brewing scandal. “All the best to every one of you,” he wrote in a farewell email to colleagues. “I wish all of you a happy retirement once you are ready yourself.”
But the consequences were already in motion. The New Mexico Supreme Court responded swiftly, issuing a lifetime ban on Cano from serving in any judicial capacity, including officiating weddings.
Tren de Aragua—often compared to MS-13 for its brutality—is now considered a top-tier threat by Homeland Security. The gang’s tentacles have reportedly reached into cities like Los Angeles, Aurora, Colorado, and parts of the Southeast, with reports of gang members taking over apartment complexes and stockpiling weapons.
As for Ortega-Lopez, he was initially released from custody by a U.S. magistrate judge who expressed skepticism that Cano would have allowed a dangerous criminal to live in his home. Federal prosecutors have since filed motions to reverse that decision, citing clear evidence of Ortega-Lopez’s threat to the community.