The Shocker: A Raid at the Judge’s House
It all went down on February 28, 2025, when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents showed up at a house owned by Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy, in Las Cruces. They weren’t there for a friendly chat. Their target was a 23-year-old Venezuelan guy named Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, who’d been living in a small “casita” behind the Cano family’s main house. Ortega-Lopez wasn’t just any houseguest he was in the U.S. illegally, having crossed the border in December 2023, and federal prosecutors say he’s tied to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that’s been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The feds arrested Ortega-Lopez on firearm charges after finding multiple guns in his possession. Court documents paint a wild picture: social media posts showing him posing with rifles, flashing gang signs, and even handing a long rifle to Joel and Nancy Cano in a video. There’s also footage of him at a shooting range, looking way too comfortable with weapons for someone who’s not supposed to have them. To top it off, agents found four guns at a nearby property owned by April Cano, the judge’s stepdaughter, who allegedly let Ortega-Lopez borrow her firearms. Yikes.
Ortega-Lopez didn’t exactly help his case. His phone had graphic images of mutilated bodies stuff that makes your stomach turn and prosecutors say he’s got a criminal history back in Venezuela. Right now, he’s locked up without bond, facing up to 15 years in prison for being an illegal immigrant with a gun. But the real bombshell? How this guy ended up living at a judge’s house in the first place.
The Judge Bows Out: Why So Sudden?
Joel Cano, a Democrat and former cop, had been a magistrate judge in Doña Ana County since 2011. He was elected four times, the last in 2022, and seemed like a fixture in the local courthouse. So when he sent a resignation letter on March 3, just days after the raid, people’s jaws hit the floor. In the letter, he thanked his colleagues and called his time on the bench “rewarding,” but didn’t say a word about why he was stepping down. When reporters reached out, he confirmed he was leaving but kept his lips sealed. A clerk at his office called it a “retirement,” but come on—nobody’s buying that this was just a coincidence.
The timing screams that Cano’s exit had everything to do with Ortega-Lopez getting busted. I mean, imagine being a judge, sworn to uphold the law, and then federal agents raid your house because an alleged gang member’s been crashing in your backyard. Even if Cano didn’t know the guy was trouble and there’s no hard evidence he did the optics are awful. You can’t just shrug that off and keep hearing cases like nothing happened.
How Did This Even Happen?
So, how does a judge end up with a guy like Ortega-Lopez on his property? Here’s what we know. Ortega-Lopez met Nancy Cano while doing handyman work in El Paso, Texas, just across the border from Las Cruces. They hit it off, and when he moved to New Mexico, the Canos offered him a place to stay in their casita. Social media posts show him hanging out with the family Joel, Nancy, and April—like he was one of their own. There’s even a video of him passing a rifle to the Canos, and photos of him at a shooting range with April’s guns.
Now, let’s be real: plenty of folks might let someone they trust crash at their place without running a full background check. But when you’re a judge, you’ve got to be extra careful about who you’re around, especially when guns are involved. The Canos’ decision to let Ortega-Lopez handle firearms, even if it was just for fun, looks reckless in hindsight. And those social media posts? They’re not just embarrassing they’re now evidence in a federal case. It’s like they forgot the internet isn’t private.
April Cano’s role is another head-scratcher. She owned a bunch of guns and apparently didn’t think twice about letting Ortega-Lopez use them. There’s no word yet on whether she’ll face charges, but the fact that she’s tied to this at all has people raising eyebrows. The whole situation feels like a string of bad choices that snowballed into a full-blown crisis.
Why Tren de Aragua Matters
This isn’t just about one guy with a gun. Tren de Aragua is a big deal a Venezuelan gang that’s been linked to drug trafficking, human smuggling, and some seriously violent stuff. In 2025, the Trump administration slapped a terrorist organization label on them, and the feds have been cracking down hard. Just in March, they arrested hundreds of suspected members nationwide, including 68 in one week. Ortega-Lopez’s alleged ties to the gang make this case a lot scarier than your average firearm bust.
He crossed the border illegally in December 2023, during a chaotic time when detention centers were overflowing. Instead of being held, he was released on parole while waiting for an immigration hearing. From there, he bounced to El Paso, then Las Cruces, where he fell in with the Canos. It’s the kind of story that gets people heated about border security, especially when you throw in the gang angle and the gruesome images on his phone.
The Fallout: Everyone’s Got an Opinion
This story has blown up, and not just in Las Cruces. On X, people are losing it. Some are calling Cano a hypocrite, saying he’s soft on crime while cozying up to a gang member. Others are screaming about immigration, pointing to Ortega-Lopez as proof the border’s out of control. One post I saw put it bluntly: “A judge letting an illegal gangbanger live at his house? This is why nobody trusts the system.” Harsh, but it captures the vibe.
On the flip side, some folks are urging everyone to chill. Cano’s supporters say he’s a good guy who got caught in a bad situation. He was a cop for years, a judge for over a decade maybe he just trusted the wrong person. There’s no proof he knew Ortega-Lopez was in a gang, and jumping to conclusions could ruin a man’s reputation unfairly. Still, the silence from Cano isn’t helping his case. People want answers, not a vague resignation letter.
What It Means for New Mexico and Beyond
This whole saga hits close to home for New Mexico, a state that’s no stranger to crime and border issues. Gangs like the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico have been a headache for years, and now Tren de Aragua’s popping up? It’s a lot. Las Cruces is just 40 miles from the border, so immigration and crime are always hot topics. This case is like pouring gasoline on an already fiery debate.
For judges, it’s a wake-up call. You’re not just a regular person you’re held to a higher standard. Hanging out with someone who turns out to be trouble can tank your career, even if you didn’t break the law. Cano’s resignation might’ve been his way of limiting the damage, but it’s left a lot of folks wondering how something like this could happen under a judge’s nose.
Nationally, it’s feeding into bigger conversations about immigration, gangs, and trust in public officials. When a judge’s name gets tied to a story like this, it makes people question the whole system. And with Tren de Aragua making waves, expect more headlines about border security and federal crackdowns.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As of April 2025, Ortega-Lopez is still behind bars, waiting for his day in court. The investigation’s ongoing, and we might learn more about what the Canos knew or didn’t know about their houseguest. For Joel Cano, life after the bench is probably a lot quieter, but the questions about his judgment aren’t going away anytime soon.
This story’s a reminder that even good intentions can lead to bad outcomes. Letting someone stay at your place? Fine. Letting them play with your guns and post it online? Not so fine, especially when you’re a judge. It’s also a lesson in how fast things can spiral when you’re in the public eye. One day you’re ruling on cases; the next, you’re trending on X for all the wrong reasons.
It all went down on February 28, 2025, when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents showed up at a house owned by Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy, in Las Cruces. They weren’t there for a friendly chat. Their target was a 23-year-old Venezuelan guy named Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, who’d been living in a small “casita” behind the Cano family’s main house. Ortega-Lopez wasn’t just any houseguest he was in the U.S. illegally, having crossed the border in December 2023, and federal prosecutors say he’s tied to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that’s been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The feds arrested Ortega-Lopez on firearm charges after finding multiple guns in his possession. Court documents paint a wild picture: social media posts showing him posing with rifles, flashing gang signs, and even handing a long rifle to Joel and Nancy Cano in a video. There’s also footage of him at a shooting range, looking way too comfortable with weapons for someone who’s not supposed to have them. To top it off, agents found four guns at a nearby property owned by April Cano, the judge’s stepdaughter, who allegedly let Ortega-Lopez borrow her firearms. Yikes.
Ortega-Lopez didn’t exactly help his case. His phone had graphic images of mutilated bodies stuff that makes your stomach turn and prosecutors say he’s got a criminal history back in Venezuela. Right now, he’s locked up without bond, facing up to 15 years in prison for being an illegal immigrant with a gun. But the real bombshell? How this guy ended up living at a judge’s house in the first place.
The Judge Bows Out: Why So Sudden?
Joel Cano, a Democrat and former cop, had been a magistrate judge in Doña Ana County since 2011. He was elected four times, the last in 2022, and seemed like a fixture in the local courthouse. So when he sent a resignation letter on March 3, just days after the raid, people’s jaws hit the floor. In the letter, he thanked his colleagues and called his time on the bench “rewarding,” but didn’t say a word about why he was stepping down. When reporters reached out, he confirmed he was leaving but kept his lips sealed. A clerk at his office called it a “retirement,” but come on—nobody’s buying that this was just a coincidence.
The timing screams that Cano’s exit had everything to do with Ortega-Lopez getting busted. I mean, imagine being a judge, sworn to uphold the law, and then federal agents raid your house because an alleged gang member’s been crashing in your backyard. Even if Cano didn’t know the guy was trouble and there’s no hard evidence he did the optics are awful. You can’t just shrug that off and keep hearing cases like nothing happened.
How Did This Even Happen?
So, how does a judge end up with a guy like Ortega-Lopez on his property? Here’s what we know. Ortega-Lopez met Nancy Cano while doing handyman work in El Paso, Texas, just across the border from Las Cruces. They hit it off, and when he moved to New Mexico, the Canos offered him a place to stay in their casita. Social media posts show him hanging out with the family Joel, Nancy, and April—like he was one of their own. There’s even a video of him passing a rifle to the Canos, and photos of him at a shooting range with April’s guns.
Now, let’s be real: plenty of folks might let someone they trust crash at their place without running a full background check. But when you’re a judge, you’ve got to be extra careful about who you’re around, especially when guns are involved. The Canos’ decision to let Ortega-Lopez handle firearms, even if it was just for fun, looks reckless in hindsight. And those social media posts? They’re not just embarrassing they’re now evidence in a federal case. It’s like they forgot the internet isn’t private.
April Cano’s role is another head-scratcher. She owned a bunch of guns and apparently didn’t think twice about letting Ortega-Lopez use them. There’s no word yet on whether she’ll face charges, but the fact that she’s tied to this at all has people raising eyebrows. The whole situation feels like a string of bad choices that snowballed into a full-blown crisis.
Why Tren de Aragua Matters
This isn’t just about one guy with a gun. Tren de Aragua is a big deal a Venezuelan gang that’s been linked to drug trafficking, human smuggling, and some seriously violent stuff. In 2025, the Trump administration slapped a terrorist organization label on them, and the feds have been cracking down hard. Just in March, they arrested hundreds of suspected members nationwide, including 68 in one week. Ortega-Lopez’s alleged ties to the gang make this case a lot scarier than your average firearm bust.
He crossed the border illegally in December 2023, during a chaotic time when detention centers were overflowing. Instead of being held, he was released on parole while waiting for an immigration hearing. From there, he bounced to El Paso, then Las Cruces, where he fell in with the Canos. It’s the kind of story that gets people heated about border security, especially when you throw in the gang angle and the gruesome images on his phone.
The Fallout: Everyone’s Got an Opinion
This story has blown up, and not just in Las Cruces. On X, people are losing it. Some are calling Cano a hypocrite, saying he’s soft on crime while cozying up to a gang member. Others are screaming about immigration, pointing to Ortega-Lopez as proof the border’s out of control. One post I saw put it bluntly: “A judge letting an illegal gangbanger live at his house? This is why nobody trusts the system.” Harsh, but it captures the vibe.
On the flip side, some folks are urging everyone to chill. Cano’s supporters say he’s a good guy who got caught in a bad situation. He was a cop for years, a judge for over a decade maybe he just trusted the wrong person. There’s no proof he knew Ortega-Lopez was in a gang, and jumping to conclusions could ruin a man’s reputation unfairly. Still, the silence from Cano isn’t helping his case. People want answers, not a vague resignation letter.
What It Means for New Mexico and Beyond
This whole saga hits close to home for New Mexico, a state that’s no stranger to crime and border issues. Gangs like the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico have been a headache for years, and now Tren de Aragua’s popping up? It’s a lot. Las Cruces is just 40 miles from the border, so immigration and crime are always hot topics. This case is like pouring gasoline on an already fiery debate.
For judges, it’s a wake-up call. You’re not just a regular person you’re held to a higher standard. Hanging out with someone who turns out to be trouble can tank your career, even if you didn’t break the law. Cano’s resignation might’ve been his way of limiting the damage, but it’s left a lot of folks wondering how something like this could happen under a judge’s nose.
Nationally, it’s feeding into bigger conversations about immigration, gangs, and trust in public officials. When a judge’s name gets tied to a story like this, it makes people question the whole system. And with Tren de Aragua making waves, expect more headlines about border security and federal crackdowns.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As of April 2025, Ortega-Lopez is still behind bars, waiting for his day in court. The investigation’s ongoing, and we might learn more about what the Canos knew or didn’t know about their houseguest. For Joel Cano, life after the bench is probably a lot quieter, but the questions about his judgment aren’t going away anytime soon.
This story’s a reminder that even good intentions can lead to bad outcomes. Letting someone stay at your place? Fine. Letting them play with your guns and post it online? Not so fine, especially when you’re a judge. It’s also a lesson in how fast things can spiral when you’re in the public eye. One day you’re ruling on cases; the next, you’re trending on X for all the wrong reasons.
