EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Venezuelan man and suspected Tren de Aragua member, who was being housed by a former New Mexico judge and his wife, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms and conspiring to destroy evidence after posting photos and videos of himself with weapons on social media.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico made the announcement Wednesday in a news release.
Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, 23, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition and conspiracy to tamper with evidence. At sentencing, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Ortega-Lopez illegally entered the United States on Dec. 15, 2023, and was released pending removal proceedings, according to court documents.
Court documents state that in January, Homeland Security Investigations received an anonymous tip that Ortega-Lopez, a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal organization and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, was living in Las Cruces and in possession of firearms.
Ortega-Lopez posted several photos and videos to his Facebook and TikTok accounts showing him handling, displaying, and shooting various firearms at a Las Cruces shooting range and other locations.
On Dec. 24, 2024, he posted photos and videos of himself at the residence of April Cano, a social media influencer and gun enthusiast, holding a rifle with tactical equipment while wearing a ballistic helmet with night vision goggles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In the videos, Ortega-Lopez referred to April Cano’s parents, Nancy and Jose Luis “Joel” Cano, as “Patron” and “Patrona,” and according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he told an informant he had received a firearm as a Christmas gift from the Cano family.
Ortega-Lopez worked for the Cano family and received housing in return. The Cano family also took him to the shooting range to fire weapons and allowed him access to firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On Feb. 28, agents executed search warrants and seized four firearms from April Cano’s residence. Ortega-Lopez then admitted he recognized all four firearms and knew it was illegal for him to possess them.
On April 20, Ortega-Lopez conspired with another person to destroy his Facebook account to avoid the contents being used against him at trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As KTSM previously reported, Joel Cano, who is a former Doña Ana County Magistrate, and his wife, Nancy Cano, were later arrested on Thursday, April 24, at their home on North Reymond Street in Las Cruces.
This came after Joel Cano and his wife maintained communication with Ortega-Lopez after he was arrested and admitted to destroying evidence relating to this case, court documents revealed.
On April 29, the couple stood before Judge Gregory Fouratt at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, where they were released under a $10,000 secured bond and several conditions.
The couple was then indicted on Tuesday, Oct. 7, on charges related to tampering with evidence. Nancy Cano faces charges of conspiracy to tamper with evidence, while Joel Cano is charged with both conspiracy to tamper with evidence and tampering with evidence. Both remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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