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PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Former New York Congressman George Santos has been sentenced to seven years in prison; he has expressed a preference for solitary confinement during his term.
👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, George Santos, former New York congressman, and Matt Gaetz, former Florida congressman.
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📍 Where & When: Santos was sentenced at federal court in New York on April 25; Santos’s comments on solitary confinement were made on The Matt Gaetz Show prior to his sentencing.
💬 Key Quote: “From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,” said prosecutors in a memorandum.
⚠️ Impact: Santos is requesting solitary confinement to avoid risks associated with incarceration in the general population, due to past comments on Latin American gangs.
IN FULL:
Former U.S. Representative George Santos has been sentenced to seven years in prison by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert after his conviction for two counts of felony fraud. “From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,” said prosecutors in a memorandum requesting an 87-month sentence. Santos’s attorneys had requested just two years, citing his lack of prior criminal convictions.
Santos was expelled from Congress in 2023, after the House Ethics Committee said he had been conning donors—some described as “elderly persons suffering from some degree of cognitive impairment or decline” by prosecutors—in order to fund a luxury lifestyle, and misrepresenting his biography.
Ahead of his sentencing, Santos said he would be requesting solitary confinement, citing concerns for his safety. Speaking on The Matt Gaetz Show aired on One America News Network, Santos highlighted his work addressing criminal gangs during his congressional tenure, suggesting this made him a target. He pointed to specific threats from gangs like MS-13 and other groups he publicly criticized while in office.
While a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the specifics of Santos’s case, they outlined general considerations influencing inmate housing decisions. These include factors like security level, medical needs, and risk of harm, which are assessed for appropriate actions, such as protective custody.
On the possibility of requesting a pardon from President Trump, Santos has previously said, “You bet your sweet ass I would.”
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A former New Mexico magistrate judge and his wife were arrested after allegedly harboring members of Venezuela’s violent Tren de Aragua criminal organization.
👥 Who’s Involved: Former Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, his wife Nancy Cano, and Venezuelan illegal immigrant and Tren de Aragua member Cristhian Ortega-Lopez.
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📍 Where & When: Las Cruces, New Mexico; arrests occurred late on Thursday, April 24.
💬 Key Quote: “Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following the arrests, adding: “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That’s a promise.”
⚠️ Impact: Both Canos are held without bond; Joel Cano has been barred from judicial office, and hearings are ongoing for the gang suspect.
IN FULL:
Former Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his spouse, Nancy Cano, were taken into custody late Thursday in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and face charges related to allegations that the couple harbored illegal immigrant members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Joel Cano is being charged with evidence tampering, while his wife, Nancy, is being charged with conspiracy to tamper stemming from their relationship with a Venezuelan illegal immigrant and accused member of Tren de Aragua, Cristhian Ortega-Lopez.
Ortega-Lopez, detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week, is accused of possessing firearms illegally and having links to the dangerous Venezuelan criminal gang. Tren de Aragua, designated as a terrorist organization by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, is known for violent activities in Venezuela. He was found living on the Canos’ property, which triggered the law enforcement actions against the couple, including an extensive ICE raid and search on their home on Thursday.
“Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a post late Thursday on X (formerly Twitter) following the arrests, adding: “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That’s a promise.”
Before his judgeship commenced in 2010, Joel Cano served for over two decades in the police force. However, Cano was forced to resign from the bench following ICE’s arrest of Ortega-Lopez during a search on February 28. Notably, Ortega-Lopez entered the U.S. at the infamous Eagle Pass, Texas border crossing in December of 2023 during the illegal immigration crisis under former President Joe Biden. The Biden government subsequently released the Venezuelan illegal immigrant and alleged Tren de Aragua member due to overcrowding at a detention center.
Ortega-Lopez’s online presence showed him and others with firearms in a shooting range. It is illegal in the United States for illegal immigrants to own or possess a firearm or ammunition unless the weapon is for immediate export. The Venezuelan illegal immigrant is slated for a court appearance on April 30, with federal prosecutors deeming him a flight risk.
The New Mexico Supreme Court has also permanently banned Joel Cano from holding judicial office. It remains uncertain if the Canos will face further charges related to harboring illegal immigrants or supporting a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
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