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Court documents show Ortega-Lopez was living with other illegal aliens on the property. Social media posts revealed he had access to firearms, and one post claimed April Cano “allowed him to hold and sometimes shoot various firearms.” This disturbing detail adds another layer to the already serious allegations swirling around the Cano family.
Joel Cano resigned abruptly from the bench on March 21, offering no explanation for his sudden departure in his farewell note. “All the best to everyone of you,” he wrote in a vague email. “I wish all of you a happy retirement once you are ready yourself.” At the time, the full scope of the unfolding controversy had not yet been made public.
Homeland Security Investigations had reportedly been tracking Ortega-Lopez since January. He allegedly admitted to entering the U.S. illegally in December 2023 and told investigators he originally lived with five other individuals before meeting Nancy Cano. He claimed to have been hired by her to install a glass door and later, after being evicted from his apartment, was offered a “casita” at the Cano residence. That’s when he moved in, right under the nose of a sitting judge.
“The optics here are outrageous,” one law enforcement source told Fox News. “You’ve got a judge’s family harboring someone tied to an international gang. That raises serious red flags.”
Tren de Aragua, the gang Ortega-Lopez is suspected of being affiliated with, has become a growing menace across several states. From the southern border up into Colorado and even Los Angeles, the group has been linked to criminal activity, including the takeover of apartment complexes and planned operations against rival gangs. Some of these investigations have been derailed due to leaks, including one high-profile case in Los Angeles where federal agents had to abort a raid after details were leaked to the press.
In a March 14 hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Damian L. Martinez raised eyebrows when he asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Armijo if she knew Judge Cano. She responded that she did not, prompting Martinez to remark, “I don’t think he would just let anybody live in his property.” That assertion now seems to be aged like sour milk.
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Shockingly, Judge Martinez ruled Ortega-Lopez was “not a flight risk or danger to the community” and ordered his release. That decision was met with immediate resistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which has since filed a motion opposing the release.
This entire episode highlights a glaring issue: when the very people tasked with upholding the law are found enabling those who break it, public trust erodes. The Cano scandal isn’t just about one judge—it’s a symbol of deeper cracks forming in the institutions Americans depend on.
The message from the state Supreme Court is loud and clear: no one is above the law, not even those who once wore the robe.
