The former New Mexico judge was accused of keeping a gun on property and was arrested on charges of tampering with evidence that allegedly destroyed a phone belonging to a tenant suspected of being a member of a Venezuelan crime gang.
Federal authorities told investigators in court records that former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose Luis “Joel” Cano, who was arrested Thursday, told investigators that photos and videos on the device negatively reflected the tenant and threw away what was left of the smash five weeks ago.
Kano resigned last month after the state Judicial Standards Committee tried to suspend him, saying that three members of Venezuelan gangster Tren de Aragua had been accused of residing in Las Cruche’s property and being able to use firearms.
In a court filing, Kano denied the characterization of male US government gang members and said they were exposed to “exhausted and strict” lawsuits with immigration and customs enforcement agents when they entered the country. He said that the only thing they heard they might have gang connections was for federal agents to attack their home and detain the man.
Kano said he and his wife Nancy allowed the man to stay in a spare studio apartment in April 2024. He said he requested asylum when he entered the US in 2023, told the couple that he was dealt with by immigration officers and released on a court date. Kano said the man presented the paperwork to support the story.
The incident unfolds at the same time as the FBI arrested a Milwaukee judge, accusing men of avoiding immigration authorities and escalating clashes between the Trump administration and local government over the president’s fundamental immigration crackdown.
Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan has been accused of escorting his lawyers from her court this week through the door of the ju court after learning that immigration authorities were there to arrest him. The man was taken outside the court after an agent chased him on foot.
In the New Mexico case, federal agents believe that the phone, which is said to contain photos posted on tenants’ social media, Christian Ortegalopez and social media holding the gun, is holding the gun.
Federal agents said the videos and photos on Ortega-Lopez’s social media accounts “displayed clear indicators of Tren de Aragua,” and that other elements of tattoos, clothing and hand gestures (providing strong evidence) of potential connections with the gang.
President Trump told reporters Friday that the incident was “pretty surprising. It’s awful.”
Nancy Cano, arrested for conspiring to tamper with evidence, has been accused of owning one of Ortega Lopez’s mobile phones after her arrest and trying to help her delete one of her Facebook accounts, but the complaints show that they weren’t deleted prior to the arrest. Authorities said they know that her husband’s social media accounts may contain evidence that could be used against him.
Videos of the arrests captured by El Paso show federal agents escorted the former judge, handcuffed, wearing a plaid button-up shirt and jeans, leading them to unmarked pickups from their homes. In a photo posted by the TV station, his wife was seen standing outside the house with an agent in handcuffs.
The Associated Press sent an email from Kano to request comment. His phone call was not answered and his voicemail inbox was full.
The AP also left a phone message with the couple’s lawyer William Lutz and the lawyer representing Ortega Lopez, who is illegally accused of immigrants in the United States while in possession of a firearm.
