Joel Cano, a former magistrate judge in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, has been permanently disqualified from ever holding judicial office in the state following explosive revelations linking his household to a suspected member of the violent Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.
In a sweeping order issued Tuesday, the New Mexico Supreme Court barred Cano from any future judicial role—including officiating weddings—citing the gravity of the scandal.
According to a spokesman from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), the court’s ruling prohibits Cano from ever again becoming a judicial candidate or exercising any form of judicial authority in the state. The decision came just days before scheduled oral arguments in related disciplinary proceedings, which were promptly canceled following resolution of the case.
Cano, who presided over cases in Las Cruces, submitted a resignation letter dated March 3, stating his intention to step down effective March 21. However, that letter wasn’t formally received by the state Supreme Court until March 31.
While his tone in the resignation was cordial—“All the best to everyone of you,” he wrote—the developments surrounding his departure paint a much darker picture.
The case that triggered Cano’s fall from the bench centers around Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela and suspected member of Tren de Aragua.
In late February, Homeland Security agents raided a Las Cruces property linked to Cano’s wife, Nancy Cano. Ortega-Lopez and several other illegal aliens were arrested, and four firearms were seized from the residence.
Court documents reveal that Ortega-Lopez was not only in possession of firearms, but had been pictured holding weapons believed to belong to April Cano, Joel and Nancy’s daughter. The documents allege that April allowed Ortega-Lopez to shoot the weapons on occasion.
The timeline traces Ortega-Lopez’s illegal entry into the United States from Mexico in December 2023. Initially residing in El Paso, he later became acquainted with Nancy Cano while performing work on her property. After being evicted, Nancy offered Ortega-Lopez a guesthouse—or “casita”—located behind the home she shared with her husband, the sitting judge.
