The House Ethics Committee opened an inquiry into Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/henry-cuellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henry Cuellar</a> (D-TX), who has been indicted on federal bribery charges, the panel announced on Wednesday.
An investigative subcommittee will look into whether Cuellar &#8220;solicited or accepted bribes, gratuities, or improper gifts; acted as a foreign agent; violated federal money laundering laws; misused his official position for private gain; and/or made false statements or omissions on public disclosure statements filed with the House,&#8221; a press release <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/press-releases/statement-chairman-and-ranking-member-committee-ethics-regarding-representative-henry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) will serve as chair of the investigative subcommittee while Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) will serve as ranking member. Reps. Ben Cline (R-VA) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA) were picked to round out the team.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-congressman-henry-cuellar-and-his-wife-charged-bribery-unlawful-foreign-influence-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in early May the unsealing of an indictment against Cuellar and his wife Imelda in the Southern District of Texas, accusing them of participating in schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering.
Cuellar, a 68-year-old who this year is running for an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-cuellar-bribery-indictment-investigation-texas-ec9904da5c51d11600718a3261f73d0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11th term in the House</a>, accepted $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities — an energy company controlled by Azerbaijan and a bank headquartered in Mexico City — in exchange for official acts as a member of Congress, the DOJ said.
In response to the indictment, Cuellar said he and his wife were &#8220;innocent of these allegations.&#8221; Cuellar also said he &#8220;proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm.&#8221;
The congressman added, &#8220;Furthermore, we requested a meeting with the Washington D.C. prosecutors to explain the facts and they refused to discuss the case with us or hear our side.&#8221;
Rules for the House Ethics Committee dictate that the panel shall either establish an investigative subcommittee or report to the House describing its reasons for not establishing an investigative subcommittee within 30 days of a member being &#8220;indicted or otherwise formally charged with criminal conduct.&#8221;
Members of the House Ethics Committee voted unanimously to establish an investigative subcommittee, the panel said.
The committee also noted that it is &#8220;aware of the risks associated with dual investigations and is in communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate the potential risks while still meeting the Committee’s obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.&#8221;
In concluding its statement, the House Ethics Committee said, &#8220;No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules.&#8221;

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas

House Ethics Opens Probe Into Indicted Dem Henry Cuellar

Congress

Crime

Ethics

Henry Cuellar

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

Three people have pled guilty in the federal criminal investigation into Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/henry-cuellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henry Cuellar</a> (D-TX) and his wife allegedly accepting bribes from foreign entities in exchange for taking official actions as an elected official to further the interests of those entities.
The 68-year-old congressman was charged along with his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, with allegedly participating in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering, the DOJ said in a statement.
The Cuellars allegedly took nearly $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company that is wholly owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank that is headquartered in Mexico city.
Two of Cuellar&#8217;s political consultants — former aide Colin Strother and Florencia Roden — struck plea deals earlier this year on felony money laundering charges related to the bank in Mexico, The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-bribery-investigation-azerbaijan-mexico-832b32f502f4a5606f0f1f6fedfe6db2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. A third person, Irada Akhoundova, pled guilty earlier this month to acting as an agent for Azerbaijan without registering under Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The New York Times reported that Cuellar was in serious need of cash around the time that he allegedly started accepting bribes as he reported being worth as little as $29,000 in 2013.
A lawyer for Cuellar said that the &#8220;suggestion that there is a financial desperation that would create a motive for bribery&#8221; was false and that the congressman &#8220;lives within his means, and like anyone else, his net worth goes up and down.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact that he’s had success doesn’t change his roots. He’s never forgotten where he came from,” the lawyer said. “There was no quid pro quo. His actions in this matter were lawful, transparent and entirely consistent with the actions of many of his colleagues and consistent with his own principles and the interests of the country.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) was indicted on similar criminal charges last fall and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jury-selection-for-new-jersey-democrat-senator-bob-menendez-corruption-trial-begins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jury selection</a> for his trial started this week.
Federal prosecutors have charged Menendez with 16 criminal counts, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/13/bob-menendez-trial-new-jersey-corruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, a charge accusing him of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Egypt, obstruction of justice, and other related corruption charges. The allegations include claims that Menendez was bribed with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-menendez-poised-to-blame-his-wife-for-alleged-crimes-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrat Senator Menendez Poised To Blame His Wife For Alleged Crimes: Reports</a>

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas,

3 People Plead Guilty In Federal Corruption Case Against Democrat Henry Cuellar

Texas

After being indicted on federal bribery charges last week, Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/henry-cuellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henry Cuellar</a> (D-TX) is being called on to step down by a Democrat colleague in the House.
Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dean-phillips" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean Phillips</a> (D-MN), a former long-shot candidate for president, lumped Cuellar in with former President Donald Trump and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) as part of a list of politicians who he insisted should resign because they have been indicted.
&#8220;While the bar for Federal indictment is high, trust in our government is low,&#8221; Phillips <a href="https://twitter.com/deanbphillips/status/1786544184490381436" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;That’s why office holders and candidates under indictment should resign or end their campaigns, including Sen. Bob Menendez, Donald Trump, &amp; Rep. Henry Cuellar.&#8221;
The Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-congressman-henry-cuellar-and-his-wife-charged-bribery-unlawful-foreign-influence-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Friday that Cuellar, a 10-term congressman, and his wife Imelda were charged with allegedly participating in schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering.
Cuellar, 68, accepted $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities — an energy company controlled by Azerbaijan and a bank headquartered in Mexico City — in exchange for official acts as a member of Congress, the DOJ said.
In a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/03/henry-cuellar-texas-azerbaijan/64373556-0966-11ef-b186-090cb777107e_story.html?ref=upstract.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> responding to the indictment, Cuellar said he and his wife were &#8220;innocent of these allegations,&#8221; taking a similarly defiant stance as Trump and Menendez have as they seek to fend off the charges they face.
“Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas,” Cuellar said. “Before I took action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
He added, &#8220;Furthermore, we requested a meeting with the Washington D.C. prosecutors to explain the facts and they refused to discuss the case with us or hear our side.&#8221;
The DOJ said the Cuellars, who face decades in prison if convicted, surrendered to authorities on Friday and made an initial appearance before a federal judge in Houston before each being released on $100,000 bond, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-cuellar-bribery-indictment-investigation-texas-ec9904da5c51d11600718a3261f73d0c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Associated Press</a>.
Menendez, who also faces bribery-related charges, has also been pressured to step down by a fellow Democrat — Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) — amid his legal battle.
“Senator Menendez should resign,&#8221; Fetterman <a href="https://www.fetterman.senate.gov/press-releases/fetterman-calls-on-senator-menendez-to-resign/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.&#8221;

Rep. Henry Cuellar

Fellow Dem Calls On Cuellar To Resign After Indictment

Dean Phillips

Democrats

House Democrats

Indictment

Politics

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/henry-cuellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henry Cuellar</a> (D-TX) released a statement on Friday maintaining his innocence after he and his wife were indicted on federal corruption and bribery charges.
The 68-year-old congressman was charged along with his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, of participating in two alleged schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering, the DOJ said in a statement.
The Cuellars allegedly took nearly $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company that is wholly owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank that is headquartered in Mexico city.
&#8220;The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar,&#8221; prosecutors allege. &#8220;Cuellar performed little or no legitimate work under the sham contracts.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations,&#8221; he claimed in a statement. &#8220;Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas.&#8221;
Cuellar claimed that he only took the actions after he &#8220;proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm.&#8221;
He said that the actions he took were &#8220;consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues&#8221; and that they were always in America&#8217;s interests.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Cuellar praised his wife in the statement and claimed that she was an accomplished business professional and said that he was offended by the insinuation that his wife was &#8220;anything but qualified and hard working.&#8221;
The indictment comes after the FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-raided-home-of-top-democrat-henry-cuellar-as-part-of-probe-involving-ex-soviet-state-of-azerbaijan-u-s-businessman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raided</a> Cuellar’s home and campaign office back in 2022 as part of the criminal investigation into the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen. Numerous items were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-agents-seize-items-from-home-of-texas-democrat-congressman-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seized</a> during the raid.
Prosecutors allege that in exchange for the bribes, Cuellar, who is the Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, used his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in a manner favorable to Azerbaijan.
“In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank,” the DOJ said.
Both individuals were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal; two counts of bribery of a federal official; two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal; one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering; and five counts of money laundering.
If convicted on all of the charges, both individuals face a maximum of up to 204 years in prison.

Senators Graham And Cuellar Hold News Conference On Border Situation

Democrat Henry Cuellar Releases Statement After Being Indicted On Federal Charges

Department of Justice

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from two foreign entities.
The 68-year-old congressman was charged along with his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, with participating in two alleged schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering, the DOJ said in a statement.
The Cuellars allegedly took nearly $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company that is wholly owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank that is headquartered in Mexico city.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1714673789152000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0y1UTwuifPf73KnKdAvs6N">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;Cuellar promised to use the power and prestige of his office to advance Azerbaijan’s and Foreign Bank-1’s interests in the United States,&#8221; the DOJ said. &#8220;The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. Cuellar performed little or no legitimate work under the sham contracts.&#8221;
The indictment comes after the FBI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-raided-home-of-top-democrat-henry-cuellar-as-part-of-probe-involving-ex-soviet-state-of-azerbaijan-u-s-businessman">raided</a> Cuellar&#8217;s home and campaign office back in 2022 as part of the criminal investigation into the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen. Numerous items were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-agents-seize-items-from-home-of-texas-democrat-congressman-report">seized</a> during the raid.
Prosecutors allege that in-exchange for the bribes, Cuellar, who is the Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, used his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in a manner favorable to Azerbaijan.
&#8220;In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank,&#8221; the DOJ said.
Both individuals were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal; two counts of bribery of a federal official; two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal; one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering; and five counts of money laundering.
If convicted on all of the charges, both individuals face a maximum of up to 204 years in prison.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Department of Defense

Democrat Henry Cuellar Indicted In Federal Corruption Investigation

A little more than a dozen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-democrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Democrats</a> broke ranks and assisted Republicans in passing a resolution on Tuesday denouncing President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a>&#8216;s immigration policies and urging him to take action in lieu of a congressional fix.
Fourteen Democrats <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202485" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> with all 212 voting Republicans in approving the resolution. Another 193 Democrats voted against the resolution. Thirteen members, including seven Republicans and six Democrats, did not vote.
The 14 defectors included Reps. Don Davis (D-NC), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), Angie Craig (D-MN), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Jared Golden (D-ME), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Susie Lee (D-NV), Frank Mrvan (D-IN), Mary Peltola (D-AK), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), and Eric Sorensen (D-IL).
Provisions in the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/1065/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> fault Biden and his administration for creating the &#8220;worst border security crisis in the Nation&#8217;s history&#8221; and paving the way for millions of illegal immigrants. It also lists a number of authorities Biden should use, such as ending catch-and-release and entering into asylum cooperative agreements, as the president <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-wont-take-executive-action-secure-border-wants-congress-find-fix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defers to Congress</a> for a solution.
&#8220;The current state of our nation&#8217;s border security is unsustainable,&#8221; <a href="https://delacruz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=667" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), who authored the resolution. &#8220;The policies put forth by the Biden administration have resulted in the worst border security crisis in our nation&#8217;s history, endangering our communities and straining our resources.&#8221;
Cruz said the resolution &#8220;underscores the urgent need for the Biden administration to take decisive action to address the crisis at our border.&#8221; She added, &#8220;We urge the administration to immediately begin utilizing the authorities available to them to regain control of the situation and protect the interests of the American people.&#8221;
The resolution is the latest in a series of measures designed to rebuke the Biden administration over its handling of the border crisis that have garnered bipartisan support.
In late January, 56 Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/56-dems-help-pass-another-house-border-measure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helped</a> Republicans pass legislation that sought to establish new penalties for individuals who engage in high-speed vehicle chases while fleeing Border Patrol agents within 100 miles of the border. A couple weeks before that, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/14-house-democrats-vote-to-denounce-biden-admins-open-borders-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">14 Democrats</a> joined with Republicans in voting to denounce the Biden administration&#8217;s &#8220;open-borders policies.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
The GOP-led House passed a border security bill last year that sought to restrict access to asylum, among other provisions, but the Democrat-controlled Senate refused to take up what Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rips-senate-foreign-aid-package-for-lacking-real-border-security-provisions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> as “partisan right-wing demands.” And, after months of negotiations, a bipartisan immigration deal fell apart in the Senate last month.
Cueller, who represents a border district, <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCuellar/status/1767623894771364195" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> earlier on Tuesday that he was leading a group of 26 House Democrats to urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to tackle the issue.
&#8220;I have always believed that Democrats can be strong on border security while also respecting the rights of migrants to claim asylum,&#8221; he said in a post to X, adding later, &#8220;Let’s get the job done.&#8221;
House Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-impeaches-mayorkas-in-second-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis, but the Senate has so far not held a trial for the Cabinet official.

14 House Democrats Vote With GOP To Demand Biden Control The Border

Biden Administration

Border Crisis

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/henry-cuellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henry Cuellar</a> (D-TX) said <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/washington-d-c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington, D.C.</a>, is about “two to three” times more dangerous than his border district in south <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> after he was carjacked on Monday.
Cuellar appeared on Fox News on Tuesday evening and gave his grim assessment of violent crime in the nation’s capital. Cuellar was the victim of an armed carjacking in which he lost his vehicle, phone, iPad, and sushi dinner. Cuellar was left unharmed and his car and items, minus the sushi, were later recovered by the police.
“I’ve always said when I talk about the border, that there is an immigration crisis there. But I would say that when you look at the numbers of murders, rape, assaults at the border — let’s say in Laredo, Texas — I’ve always said that Washington is about two or three times more dangerous, and we certainly see it now,” Cuellar said during an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters.
Cuellar went on to detail his support for law enforcement. When asked about attacks on law enforcement from members of the Democratic Party, Cuellar said he could speak for himself.
“I think a lot of Democrats do [support law enforcement]. I think there are some that have a different opinion. I can speak about myself: I don’t believe in defunding the police,” he said. “I voted against what the Washington, D.C., Council did to lower penalties. I think that’s a wrong direction. I was one of 30 Democrats that we don’t feel that you affect crime by lowering the penalties. You ought to increase the penalty.”
The Texas Democrat also joked about his harrowing experience, saying that what really made him “pissed off” was the fact that they stole his dinner. He also noted that he has a black belt in karate, but decided to take the “calm” way out and let the “punks” have the car.
“There were three individuals. I looked to the left, there was somebody with a gun pointed at me. I looked to the right, there was somebody there. There was a third person behind me. I do have a black belt in karate, but I quickly assessed the situation. You got to stay calm because it looked like three young individuals, and I decided to say, just take the car. We were able to track the car and my phone and within an hour and a half, they got everything back,” Cuellar said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
EXCLUSIVE: Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar was just held up at gunpoint in DC and he&#39;s upset they took his sushi. He tells Primetime about the carjacking and where Democrats stand on crime. <a href="https://t.co/24FXWYRJOL">pic.twitter.com/24FXWYRJOL</a>
&mdash; Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) <a href="https://twitter.com/JesseBWatters/status/1709375588677345433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
No arrests have yet been made in connection with the incident.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-41364">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>

Carjacked Congressman Says D.C. ‘Two Or Three Times More Dangerous’ Than Texas Border

Washington D.C.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) broke his silence on Tuesday morning after being carjacked Monday night by armed assailants in Washington, D.C.
The 68-year-old congressman was carjacked in D.C.&#8217;s upscale Navy Yard neighborhood just before 10 p.m. EST. A police alert said that law enforcement was searching for &#8220;three black males wearing all black clothing.&#8221;
&#8220;I was just coming into my place, three guys came out of nowhere and they pointed guns at me,&#8221; Cuellar told reporters. &#8220;I do have a black belt, but I recognize when you got three guns — I looked at one with a gun, another with a gun, a third one behind me — so they said they wanted my car and I said sure.&#8221;
&#8220;You got to keep calm under those situations and then they took off,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;They recovered the car. They recovered everything, what really got me upset was they took my sushi but anyway, that&#8217;s something else. And they did recover the sushi after all.&#8221;
Cuellar suggested that the incident did not significantly impact him emotionally and that his message following the incident was, &#8220;You got to support law enforcement.&#8221;
When asked by a reporter if security should be boosted for members of Congress following the incident, Cuellar responded: &#8220;I don&#8217;t know. I&#8217;ll leave that to House administration, but this happened less than a mile away from the Capitol.&#8221;
&#8220;And my place, you got our leader Hakeem [Jeffries] there, Katherine Clark who lives there, a whole bunch of members that live in that place,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;So, I&#8217;ll leave that up to the police.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“Three guys came out of nowhere and they pointed guns at me” – video of <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCuellar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCuellar</a> (D-TX) recounting getting carjacked last night. ATTN: .<a href="https://twitter.com/alanhenney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlanHenney</a> <a href="https://t.co/b9WKEmsiU1">pic.twitter.com/b9WKEmsiU1</a>
&mdash; Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentHBaker/status/1709215324464099801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Democrat Henry Cuellar Breaks Silence After Being Carjacked By Armed Men

carjacking

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was reportedly carjacked at gunpoint in Washington, D.C., on Monday night.
White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López reported that Cuellar was &#8220;was carjacked at gunpoint tonight outside his apartment building in DC, multiple sources confirm to me.&#8221;
The congressman, whose district is on the U.S. southern border, is reportedly safe. Cuellar&#8217;s car was reportedly recovered roughly an hour later. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEWS: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was carjacked at gunpoint tonight outside his apartment building in DC, multiple sources confirm to me. And Cuellar is safe they say
&mdash; Laura Barrón-López (@lbarronlopez) <a href="https://twitter.com/lbarronlopez/status/1709033713126735942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
An alert that was sent out in the area said that the suspects were three black males.
“Alert: Armed Carjacking Investigation at the intersection of K street and New Jersey Avenue SE,” a local alert said, according to Punchbowl News. “Taken was a white Honda CHR with TX tags [redacted]. Lookout for three black males wearing all black clothing.”
An alert sent to congressional members <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/congressman-henry-cuellar-carjacked-gunpoint-washington-sources/story?id=103676681">said</a> that the men held guns to Cuellar&#8217;s head and also took his cellphone.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here’s neighborhood alert that went out: <a href="https://t.co/99Euxaq6Q8">https://t.co/99Euxaq6Q8</a> <a href="https://t.co/32BUr2woYs">pic.twitter.com/32BUr2woYs</a>
&mdash; Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) <a href="https://twitter.com/heatherscope/status/1709033084350300346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was assaulted in an elevator at her Washington, D.C., apartment building back in February.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-release-photo-of-suspect-in-assault-of-house-democrat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a couple of days later that they had arrested 26-year-old Kendrick Hamlin on a charge of simple assault.
“My morning coffee really saved the day yesterday, but not exactly how I expected it to,” Craig said. “On a serious note, I will also say that I was very, very lucky that I was not more injured — and I’ll have more to say about that soon.”
“I wanted to let everyone know that the outpouring of support from friends, constituents and colleagues has been overwhelming,” she continued. “I remain deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers for their quick response and subsequent arrest of a suspect last night.”
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Democrat Congressman Carjacked At Gunpoint In Washington, D.C.

Car Theft

Rep. Henry Cuellar’s (D-TX) newest <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican challenger</a> is his recently-departed staffer, Jose Sanz.
Legistorm <a href="https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/416379/Jose_M_Sanz_Mondragon.html">data</a> reflected that Sanz departed from Cuellar’s office at the end of June. Sanz was serving as Cuellar’s district director and press secretary; he began working for the congressman in 2021.
In a Tuesday <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0UF4Wgk2arb6ooWAHbwB14MMZq1bZeoT3BhRvGqupq49XeGhQrNnKDaJktyM4i18Wl&amp;id=61551647559558" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> announcing his candidacy, Sanz said that he had an “unparalleled” experience under Cuellar, but reportedly realized that his values and beliefs didn’t align with those held by the congressman.
“However, over time it became clear that my values and beliefs did not align with those of the office,” said Sanz. “I had to make a change so I could fight for what matters to me most &#8230; my conservative ideals and the ability to represent the family values of the people of District 28 in Washington, D.C.”
Cuellar has been noted as more of a centrist than a hard-left Democrat. In July, the congressman voted for a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-moves-to-block-funding-for-abortion-travel-as-lawmakers-prepare-to-vote-on-military-spending">ban</a> on federal spending for abortion travel expenses.
In his press release, Sanz also expressed a commitment to securing the border and countering cartel activity. He said that the South Texans comprising Cuellar’s district were conservative and supportive of those goals.
“We must secure our border with Mexico, stop human trafficking and the influx of drugs into the United States and cut off the flow of illegal weapons from the United States across the Southern border,” said Sanz.
Sanz and his former boss have border security as a common priority. Over the weekend, Cuellar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-henry-cuellar-slams-biden-for-worsening-border-crisis-we-need-to-have-repercussions-at-the-border">called out</a> President Joe Biden for the worsening border crisis. The congressman proposed publicizing deportations to improve border security.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
“We need to have repercussions at the border. What does that mean?” said Cuellar. “You’ve got to deport people, and you’ve got to show images of people being deported.”
Cuellar’s district, 28, runs along the border through Laredo and Rio Grande up to the eastern outskirts of San Antonio.
Sanz shared in his press release that he immigrated from Mexico in order to escape the violence of his home country. Apart from serving as Cuellar’s staffer, Sanz worked as an ESPN-Mexico television sports analyst.
As of this report, the website for Sanz’s campaign was <a href="http://www.josefortexas.com/?fbclid=IwAR280mguAHYv7cv_4aHJsEImS0OvPGj3ESMUnGDbYqI1hCoglphFrrTQGaQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">registered</a> but not yet finished.
Sanz’s announcement comes less than a week after Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/longtime-democrat-dallas-mayor-switching-to-gop-american-cities-need-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> he was switching his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. The mayor said that American cities need Republicans. Johnson served nearly a decade in the Texas legislature prior to becoming the Dallas mayor in 2019. Dallas’ twin city, Fort Worth, is also led by a Republican mayor.
Cuellar, through spokesman Jake Hochberg, shrugged off Sanz as an inexperienced challenger and non-threat to his incumbency.
“For the second cycle in a row, we welcome another Republican candidate to the race that has no experience and is not from the 28th Congressional District of Texas,” stated Hochberg. “We will win again, decisively.”
Cuellar was first elected to Congress nearly 20 years ago, in 2005. Prior to that, Cuellar served as the Texas Secretary of State and as a state representative. The congressman <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/members/C001063" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sits</a> on the House Appropriations Committee as well as the Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies subcommittees.

Texas Democratic Congressman’s Recently-Departed Staffer Is Now His Republican Challenger

2024 Election

Elections

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose district is on the U.S.-Mexico border, said in an interview over the weekend that the U.S. must put &#8220;repercussions&#8221; in place to disincentivize illegal aliens from entering the U.S.
Cuellar made the remarks during a Sunday interview on Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; as the southern border has seen a massive surge in illegal immigration over the last couple of months.
&#8220;We need to have repercussions at the border. What does that mean? You’ve got to deport people, and you’ve got to show images of people being deported,&#8221; he said. &#8220;When was the last time we saw people going the other way instead of just seeing people flow in?&#8221;
Cuellar said that he thought former President Donald Trump went too far in trying to disincentivize illegal immigration and that President Joe Biden was &#8220;not doing enough.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve got find the right balance,” he claimed. “You’ve got to listen to the community leaders.”
He said that migrants should be stopped from ever reaching the U.S. southern border and that getting Mexico&#8217;s help would be key in stopping the issue.
“I’ve been saying this for years,” Cuellar said, “we as Democrats and Republicans can continue playing defense on the 1-yard line, or we can play defense on their 20-yard line — and that is getting Mexico to do more.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: Texas Democratic Congressman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCuellar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCuellar</a> discusses the state of the southern border and calls on officials in Mexico and Washington, D.C. to do more. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FoxNewsSunday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FoxNewsSunday</a> <a href="https://t.co/LkmEmV2HOk">pic.twitter.com/LkmEmV2HOk</a>
&mdash; Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNewsSunday/status/1705962443795571145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Democrat Henry Cuellar Slams Biden For Worsening Border Crisis: ‘We Need To Have Repercussions At The Border’

Illegal Immigration

Media

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose congressional district is on the U.S.-Mexico border, slammed the Biden administration during an interview over the weekend for causing a historic illegal immigration crisis on the southern border.
Cuellar&#8217;s Sunday remarks on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; with host Shannon Bream come as Biden&#8217;s border crisis is set to get significantly worse this week as Title 42 is set to expire.
&#8220;Surely, we are seeing people coming in, the border is open,&#8221; Cuellar began. &#8220;There are some policies that in my opinion should have been implemented some years ago.&#8221;
&#8220;We need to have a very simple thing at the border, repercussions. That is people that are supposed to stay here, should be able to stay under the law,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And if they have to be returned, they have to be returned quickly. You got to have some repercussions because if you don&#8217;t repercussions at the border, people are going to see the border as a speed bump, and they&#8217;ll be coming in at this time. So we&#8217;ve got to have repercussions at the border.&#8221;
Cuellar said that the pull factors created by the administration have led to illegal aliens currently trying to come in from &#8220;over 60 countries,&#8221; saying that &#8220;it&#8217;s almost like a mini U.N. down there.&#8221;
&#8220;You know, if you look at the last two years, yes, you&#8217;ve had over 4.3 million individuals that have been encountered by Border Patrol. That doesn&#8217;t include that getaways,&#8221; he said. &#8220;At the same time, we&#8217;ve had over — I think it&#8217;s about 1.2 million individuals so far, and the fiscal year still not over.&#8221;
&#8220;Right now, the only image that we see is people coming in,&#8221; he later added. &#8220;No images of people going back. So, yes, the American public is frustrated.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCuellar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepCuellar</a> responds to the deadly shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, TX and the scene at the border as Title 42 is set to expire this week. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOXNewsSunday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOXNewsSunday</a> <a href="https://t.co/E77XChXAm5">pic.twitter.com/E77XChXAm5</a>
&mdash; Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNewsSunday/status/1655222042650632193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>