In a shocking interview, United States Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that a former New Mexico judge went to great lengths to protect an alleged member of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, who the judge protected within his own home.

For context, Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were both arrested on April 25, 2025, after it was confirmed that the couple had harbored Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a suspected Tren de Aragua member, in their home. Following the arrests, Attorney General Bondi confirmed that Judge Cano admitted that he had destroyed evidence to keep Ortega-Lopez from being caught.

In an interview with Fox News, AG Bondi explained that Judge Cano had confessed to specific instances of protecting Ortega-Lopez, saying, “Judge Cano, soon to be former Judge Cano, his charges were just unsealed. He’s charged with obstruction. He admitted post-Miranda. He took one of the TDA members’ cell phones, himself, took it, beat it with a hammer, destroyed it, and then walked the pieces to a city dumpster to dispose of it to protect him.”

In addition, Bondi confirmed that Ortega-Lopez had been using his cell phone to share gruesome pictures. “He had on his cell phone pictures of two decapitated victims… and he was sending them out, and whoever he was sending them to was sending back, ‘Hey, you need to be careful. You shouldn’t be texting these photos out,” AG Bondi said.

Furthermore, in a press release from the Department of Justice, AG Bondi commented further on the charges against Judge Cano, along with the recently arrested Judge Hannah Dugan. The attorney general said, “The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations.” She continued, “Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law. The Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts — no one is above the law.”

Additionally, U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico weighed in on Cano’s case, emphasizing the extent to which the corrupt judge had neglected his responsibilities. Ellison said, “Judges are responsible for upholding our country’s laws. It is beyond egregious for a former judge and his wife to engage in evidence tampering on behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member accused of illegally possessing firearms.”

Continuing, Ellison expressed the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s mission of taking down Tren de Aragua, saying, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling this foreign terrorist organization by disrupting its criminal operations in New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support gang members, including judges.”

Following Juge Cano’s arrest, the Department of Justice confirmed that Ortega-Lopez and several other alleged TDA gang members were arrested as well, with a DOJ representative saying, “Ortega-Lopez was arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Four firearms believed to be in Ortega-Lopez’s possession, along with three of his cell phones, were seized during the operation.”

Watch AG Bondi comment on Judge Cano’s arrest: