A former judge from New Mexico and his spouse were apprehended on Thursday following the arrest of a suspected member of the notoriously violent Tren de Aragua gang at their residence the previous week.

Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were taken into custody in Las Cruces, as announced by Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, in a press release.

Cano had resigned the prior week after federal immigration agents detained Cristian Ortega-Lopez, a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua gang, at his home. He is currently facing charges related to conspiracy to tamper with evidence, as reported by U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ortega-Lopez, aged 23, entered the United States illegally and was subsequently released on immigration parole by the Biden Administration in 2022.

This individual, believed to be affiliated with the Venezuelan gang, eventually traveled to El Paso, Texas, where he became acquainted with Nancy Cano, the wife of Magistrate Judge Joel Cano of Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

Cano, who previously worked as a police officer before becoming a judge, permitted Ortega-Lopez to submit a request for immigration relief using the judge’s address.

Court records also included photographs depicting the alleged gang member taking pictures with the judge. Furthermore, additional social media content acquired by federal prosecutors revealed Ortega-Lopez and other undocumented individuals engaging in activities at a shooting range.

The individuals appeared to possess several firearms along with a significant amount of ammunition.

In one photograph, the undocumented individual is seen holding an AR-15-style rifle in one hand and a semiautomatic handgun in the other.

A separate video allegedly shows the Venezuelan national discharging another AR-15 equipped with a suppressor, continuing to fire until the magazine was empty before swiftly replacing it and resuming fire.