A former New Mexico judge and his wife, who are accused of harboring a Venezuelan gang member in their home, have been released from jail on bond.
Joel Cano, a former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge, and his wife, Nancy Cano, were recently arrested on charges of tampering with evidence. This happened following a raid on their home in Las Cruces carried out by federal agents.
Court records show they were released on $10,000 bond each on Tuesday under certain conditions.
In January 2025, officials from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were informed about Cristhian Ortega-Lopez. He was suspected to be a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization. According to a federal complaint, Ortega-Lopez was reported to be living unlawfully with other illegal immigrants in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The complaint also mentioned that he was in possession of firearms.
Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano. (U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico)
Joel Cano decided to resign from his position as a judge in March. Subsequently, the New Mexico Supreme Court made a ruling last month that permanently prohibits him from holding any judicial office within the state.
Joel and Nancy Cano face up to 15 years in prison. Fox News Digital reached out to their attorney for comment.
“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,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video message last week.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
