A Democratic judge in New Mexico stepped down last month following the arrest of an alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang, who had been residing in his home, as reported by various sources.
The individual in question, an undocumented immigrant, initially entered the United States via Eagle Pass, Texas. He was subsequently released on immigration parole due to overcrowding before moving to New Mexico.
Federal prosecutors in the District of New Mexico have charged 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez with illegal possession of a firearm and have linked him to the Tren de Aragua gang, which is known for its violent activities and originates from Venezuela.
Earlier this year, the gang was officially classified as a foreign terrorist organization by President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department, according to Breitbart News. Cristhian Ortega-Lopez was apprehended on February 28 while law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence of Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his spouse, Nancy, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal.
This incident follows a detention hearing in which prosecutors contended that Ortega-Lopez poses a flight risk and is associated with the violent Tren de Aragua gang.
Cano, a former law enforcement officer, allegedly permitted Ortega-Lopez to use his home address when applying for immigration relief. Evidence presented in court included social media images depicting the foreign national alongside the judge. Investigative court records indicated that Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan citizen, unlawfully entered the United States in December 2023, coinciding with the peak of the Biden administration’s border crisis. He was released just three days later due to overcrowding at the Eagle Pass detention center.
Social media content acquired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico revealed Ortega-Lopez and several other undocumented immigrants at a shooting range, where they appeared to be in possession of multiple firearms and a significant quantity of ammunition for handguns and rifles.In one image, Ortega-Lopez is depicted holding an AR-15-style rifle in one hand and a semi-automatic pistol in the other. Prosecutors reported that a video recorded him firing another AR-15 fitted with a suppressor, during which he emptied the magazine, reloaded, and continued shooting.
Images and videos revealed Ortega-Lopez showcasing tattoos linked to Tren de Aragua, an organization designated by the State as a Transnational Criminal Organization.
Investigators also found additional firearms at a nearby residence owned by the daughter of Nancy Cano, with Ortega-Lopez observed handling several of those weapons.
Court documents indicate that after his release by Border Patrol, the Venezuelan national relocated to El Paso, where he lived with five other individuals. During this time, he met Nancy Cano and began working for her as a handyman and construction worker. She subsequently offered him accommodation in a small house situated behind her property. Justice Elena Kagan denied a request from four Mexican nationals seeking to halt their deportation orders to allow for an appeal, as reported by Fox News.
The report stated, “The petitioners, Fabian Lagunas Espinoza, Maria Angelica Flores Ulloa, and their two sons, were instructed to report to immigration officials on Thursday. Their legal representatives contended that they would face cartel violence if returned to Mexico.”
According to their court submission, the family fled Guerrero, Mexico, in 2021 after receiving threats from the Los Rojos drug cartel. The petition detailed that cartel members demanded the family leave their home within 24 hours or face death.
