Overview

• The New Mexico Supreme Court has permanently banned former Magistrate Judge Joel Cano from holding or exercising any judicial authority in the state.
• Cano resigned in March 2025 following a federal investigation that uncovered an alleged member of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang living at his family's property.
• Agents executing a search warrant at the residence seized four firearms, which the suspect, Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, admitted to possessing illegally.
• Ortega-Lopez, who entered the U.S. illegally in December 2023 and was released due to Border Patrol overcrowding, remains in federal custody with removal proceedings pending.
• The case highlights judicial accountability, immigration enforcement challenges, and U.S. efforts to counter foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua.