LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Former Las Cruces judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy, are free tonight. On Tuesday, a federal judge released the couple on bond.

They had been in the Doña Ana County Detention Center since Friday.

“We were following the leads from what we’ve learned over the last couple of weeks. And so we came back here today with an additional search warrant to be able to recover additional evidence. And as a result of that, we’ve made two arrests today,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, El Paso.

Stevens said that after last Friday’s raid at the home of Joel and Nancy. 

The raid comes after the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement raided that same home and arrested alleged Venezuelan gang member, Christhian Ortega-Lopez, on charges of illegally possessing guns and ammo. Two other men allegedly associated with Ortega-Lopez were also arrested.

According to a federal complaint, someone called Homeland Security and reported Ortega-Lopez was living in New Mexico illegally, and he was in possession of guns.

It also mentioned social media posts allegedly showing him and other Venezuelans migrants with guns at a Las Cruces shooting range.

The Canos are accused of aiding Ortega-Lopez by destroying evidence in his federal investigation.

Days after Ortega-Lopez’s arrest, the judge resigned from the bench. He didn’t mention why he was resigning, but he did say he was grateful for the experience.

Then, on April 22, the New Mexico Supreme Court decided Cano will never be able to serve on the bench again.

Former judge Cano isn’t the only judge who’s been arrested recently. Last week, federal agents arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hanna Dugan. She’s accused of helping a migrant leave out another door of the courthouse to avoid FBI agents who were there to arrest him.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi compared that case with the case here in New Mexico.

“Some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law, and they are not. And we’re sending a very strong message today,” said Bondi on Fox News.

As far as Joel and Nancy Cano, they were released from jail on bond with some conditions. They can not leave Doña Ana County. They also can’t have guns or ammo in their house, but they are both allowed to have jobs.