National News
DOJ reveals new details after arrest of former New Mexico judge, wife
A former decide in New Mexico and his spouse would allegedly attempt to conceal incriminating photographs and movies from an unlawful immigrant who was imagined to be a member of the infamous tren the Aragua gang of Venezuela and different migrants, the Ministry of Justice mentioned Friday.
Former Doña Ana County Justice of the Peace decide Joel Cano, 68, and his spouse, Nancy Cano, 67, had been arrested on Thursday after federal brokers had attacked their las cruces at residence. The couple is confronted with accusations of proof that’s tampered with accusations they cherished Crithian Ortega-Lopez.
“Judges are liable for sustaining the legal guidelines of our nation. It’s greater than tough for a former decide and his spouse to expertise proof on behalf of a presumably gang member tren the Aragua accused of the unlawful possession of firearms,” mentioned American lawyer Ryan Ellisonon.
“The workplace of the American legal professionals is devoted to dismantle this overseas terrorist group by disturbing his legal actions in New Mexico. That begins with the prosecution of those that help gang members – together with judges.”
Ex-New Mexico Decide, lady arrested for alleged inns of unlawful tren the Aragua member
A HSI agent escorts former Doña Ana County Justice of the Peace Decide Joel Cano from his home Thursday 24 April 2025. (Due to KFOX14)
Ortega-Lopez was positioned on the radar of the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) after a tip star mentioned he was unlawful within the US and had weapons. He initially entered the nation on December 15, 2023, close to Eagle Go, Texas. He was taken into custody and launched resulting from overcrowding within the US Border Patrol facility.
Ortega-Lopez apparently positioned a number of photographs and movies on social media with different unlawful immigrants who use weapons in a taking pictures vary in Las Cruces, mentioned federal prosecutors. Underneath the weapons, a Sig Sauer P365 pistol, an AR-15 rifle had been outfitted with a suppressor and different highly effective weapons and ammunition.
The decide of New Mexico resigns after the alleged TDA member has been arrested at his home
His exercise on social media revealed content material that means ties with the Venezuelan gang, together with gang-related tattoos, hand gestures and clothes, mentioned public prosecutors. He additionally mocked a reward of $ 5,000 to catch TDA members, mentioned Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi.
Among the many photographs had been additionally two individuals who had been beheaded, she mentioned.
In January, federal brokers obtained a tip that Ortega-Lopez lived with different unlawful immigrants on a Cano owned, who was nonetheless a decide at the moment, and his spouse.
Authorities seized 4 weapons throughout a search on 28 February.
Former Doña Ana County Justice of the Peace Decide Joel Cano, 68, and his spouse, Nancy Cano, 67, are accused of the inns of Crithian Ortega-Lopez, an unlawful immigrant and alleged member of the infamous tren the Aragua gang of Venezuela. (US District Court docket for the New Mexico district; American immigration and customs enforcement)
The 4 weapons, along with three cellphones from Ortega-Lopez, had been seized and he was arrested. In the course of the search, Ortega-Lopez was allowed to make a telephone name earlier than he was dropped at the Doña Ana County Detention Heart (DACDC).
He instructed the brokers that the telephone he needed to make use of was not beneath the restored units. Video calls from DACDC later confirmed that Nancy Cano with a black iPhone that was imagined to be the fourth telephone from Ortega, the prosecutors mentioned.
Throughout a name of seven March with Ortega-Lopez, Nancy Cano would have used the system to contact somebody named “Michelle” by way of WhatsApp, earlier than facilitating a facetime name between Michelle and Ortega-Lopez utilizing her private telephone.
In a name of 20 April, Nancy Cano and Ortega-Lopez mentioned the removing of his Fb account, which he would have used to share incriminating content material, together with bendelations and pictures with weapons.
Former Doña Ana County Justice of the Peace Decide Joel Cano, 68, and his spouse, Nancy Cano, 67, are mentioned to have cherished Ortega-Lopez. (American courtroom for the New Mexico district)
On April 24, federal brokers searched the CANO home to seek out the lacking telephone from Ortega-Lopez. In the course of the interrogation, Joel Cano admitted the system to interrupt with a hammer 5 weeks earlier as a result of he believed that it contained worrying pictures and movies of Ortega-Lopez with weapons and threw it right into a waste container, Bondi mentioned.
A forensic evaluation of the recovered telephones revealed messages associated to the alleged legal actions of Ortega, together with ties with the TDA gang and pictures of him with weapons, the authorities mentioned.
Joel and Nancy Cano are in jail as much as 15 years.
FBI arrests the courtroom of Wisconsin, claiming that she hinded the arrest of unlawful alien exterior
“The rule of regulation may be very easy: it does not matter which work you’re in. When you break the regulation, we are going to observe the details and we are going to prosecute you,” Bondi mentioned on Friday in a video message.
One other decide arrested for alleged interference with the arrest of an unlawful immigrant in Wisconsin can be confronted with federal prices. Milwaukee County Circuit Court docket Decide Hannah Dugan, 65, is alleged to have confronted federal brokers in a courthouse on April 18 and ordered them to depart as a result of they tried to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican citizen who was beforehand deported and lately accused of batiefie.
Flores-Ruiz would have hit a person 30 instances and hit a girl, Bondi mentioned. Each victims had been in courtroom when Dugan heard that ice was outdoors to arrest him.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court docket Decide Hannah Dugan will probably be arrested on Friday. (Obtained by Fox Information)
“After he was knowledgeable of a legitimate arrest warrant for immigration, Decide Dugan instructed the brokers that they wanted a judicial order and demanded that they go to the Chief Decide workplace, the Ministry of Justice mentioned in a press launch on Friday.” As quickly because the brokers had been now not chosen within the neighborhood of her courtroom to maintain a listening to on the legal legal case of his violation and as a substitute the very fact was that it was close to his violation and had a listening to as a substitute. Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer by a restricted ‘jury door’ exit that’s not often utilized by the defendants or legal professionals. “
The doorway led to a personal hall, who all the time left Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer the courtroom of Dugan, mentioned prosecutors. He was lastly arrested outdoors the courthouse after a brief foot hunt.
Dugan is accused of obstructing the process for a division or company of the USA and hiding an individual to forestall arrest. She is confronted with a most of six years in jail.
Mexican Nationwide Eduardo Flores-Ruiz is an unlawful immigrant who was accused of decide Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County Circuit Court docket of serving to avoiding arresting by American immigration and customs enforcement brokers. (DHS/Milwaukee Unbiased by way of AP)
Click on right here to get the Fox Information app
Flores-Ruiz was beforehand deported in 2013 and got here in illegally once more, the authorities mentioned.
“Jurisdictions of sanctuary that defend legal aliens are endangering American communities,” mentioned deputy lawyer -general -general Todd Blanche. “This Ministry of Justice won’t help as a result of native officers are inserting politics about public security. Reckless Sanctuary Metropolis coverage creates a sanctuary for one class – criminals. These days are over.”