Former New Mexico judge accused of tampering with evidence in Tren de Aragua case

A former New Mexico judge was arrested by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents Thursday and accused of tampering with evidence in a case against a man suspected to be a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.

A former New Mexico judge was arrested by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents Thursday and accused of tampering with evidence in a case against a man suspected to be a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday.

The complaint alleges Joel Cano, a former Doña Ana County Division 6 magistrate, destroyed evidence in a federal investigation into the Venezuelan man accused of being in the United States illegally and residing in a back house on property owned by the judge and his wife in Las Cruces.

His arrest came a day before the FBI arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, alleging she obstructed federal authorities seeking to detain an undocumented immigrant by escorting him through a nonpublic jury door at her courthouse. A statement issued on the judge's behalf said that she “will defend herself vigorously, and looks forward to being exonerated,” the statement said.

On Friday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi linked the two cases under the Trump administration’s mission of zero tolerance for those who come to the United States illegally and any judges believed to be helping them.

“We’re sending a very strong message today,” Bondi said on Fox News. “If you are harboring a fugitive, we don’t care who you are, if you are helping hide one, if you are giving a TdA member guns, anyone who is illegally in this country, we will come after you and we will prosecute you. We will find you.”