New Mexico Judge Resigns After Officials Search Home

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Well, would you look at that. Another Democrat judge resigns under a cloud of scandal—this time in New Mexico, where Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano suddenly stepped down after federal agents arrested an alleged Venezuelan gang member living at his house. Not exactly the kind of detail you’d expect on a judicial résumé, but hey, it’s 2025 and anything goes, right?

Let’s not pretend this is just a routine retirement after a long and distinguished career. Judge Cano, who’s been on the bench since 2011 and ran unopposed like a Soviet candidate in three straight elections, suddenly pulls the ripcord just days after federal agents raid his Las Cruces property and find Cristhian Ortega-Lopez—a 23-year-old Venezuelan national accused of being affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, which, if you’re not familiar, is not a community theater troupe. We’re talking organized crime, firearms, and social media flexing with weaponry.

And here’s the kicker: the judge and his family didn’t just happen to rent out a casita on Craigslist to the wrong guy. No, according to court filings, Ortega-Lopez had been personally introduced to multiple members of the Cano family, including daughter April, who allegedly owns a nearby property stuffed with firearms that the defendant got to play with like a kid at summer camp. Rifles, handguns—you name it. He’s even posing in Facebook photos with Judge Cano himself. Because nothing screams “respectable judiciary” quite like posing with a guy accused of being part of a transnational gang.

Let’s rewind for a second. Ortega-Lopez illegally entered the U.S. near Eagle Pass—because why not, the border’s wide open and staffed like a weekend garage sale. After spending a whole three days in custody, he was released on humanitarian parole because the Border Patrol was overwhelmed. And here’s where the real punchline lands: he ends up living on the property of a sitting judge and mingling with the judge’s family like he’s a distant cousin, all while being armed and active on social media. If that doesn’t summarize this administration’s immigration policies in one absurd anecdote, I don’t know what does.

Naturally, when the feds finally move in and arrest him, Judge Cano says nothing. Neither does his wife Nancy, who allegedly made the initial offer for Ortega-Lopez to stay in their casita. And still, when this mess hits the courts, a federal magistrate, Damian Martinez, initially considers letting this guy walk—because hey, if a judge lets you crash in his backyard, you must be good people, right?

Let’s get this straight: a federal judge is quoted saying he doesn’t think Cano “would just let anybody live in his property.” That’s your standard now? Personal vibes over actual criminal allegations? Federal prosecutors had to appeal to block this release. They even had to argue against letting the very people involved in this housing situation act as potential third-party custodians. We’re through the looking glass, folks.

Judge Cano’s resignation letter didn’t even mention the elephant in the room. Just some vague “thanks for the memories” nonsense. And we’re supposed to believe this is all a coincidence? Not a chance. This wasn’t a graceful exit—it was a strategic retreat with all the subtlety of a fire drill.

The whole situation is a perfect microcosm of the left’s soft-on-crime, blind-to-reality approach to governance. Borders? Optional. Deportations? Problematic. Judges housing gang affiliates with access to family-owned gun stockpiles? Meh, who’s counting. But heaven forbid you criticize any of this, or you’ll be labeled anti-immigrant, anti-democracy, or worse.

Judge Cano may have quietly bowed out, but the real story here isn’t just about one Democrat with questionable houseguests. It’s about a system that’s allowed this kind of incompetence, or worse, willful blindness to flourish. And the rest of us are stuck cleaning up the mess.

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