Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar faces charges two years after FBI raided his home over ties to Azerbaijani businessmen
- The Texas Democrat’s home was raided by the FBI in January 2022
Congressman Henry Cuellar is expected to be indicted by the Justice Department on Friday afternoon, according to multiple reports.
The Texas Democrat’s home was raided by the FBI in January 2022 as part of an investigation into his ties to Azerbaijani businessmen.
Cuellar said he was cooperating with law enforcement at the time of the raid and did not believe he was the target of the investigation. It is not yet clear whether the charges are related to that investigation.
The nine-term Democrat is a former co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, an obscure group dedicated to advancing relations with the oil-rich Caspian Sea country.
In that role, Cuellar is known to have met repeatedly with Azerbaijani officials, including the country’s ambassador to the US, Elin Suleymanov.
Azerbaijan has been harshly criticized in the past for bribing foreign officials and diplomats to secure foreign policy goals and legitimize dubious election results.
The practice is so common in the country that it is known there as “caviar diplomacy,” but it is unclear whether the FBI is investigating similar allegations involving Cuellar.
Representative Henry Cuellar (right) meets with Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the US in 2013. The FBI raid on Cuellar’s home is reportedly related to an investigation into Azerbaijani activities in the US.
FBI agents have been spotted conducting a “court-authorized” investigation at the Texas home of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who has pledged full cooperation
Since 2004, Cuellar has represented a district that stretches from the U.S. border with Mexico, near McAllen, to Laredo, and north to the eastern suburbs of San Antonio.
The moderate Democrat has a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
Public records show Cuellar purchased his luxurious Laredo home in 2010.
The 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home in a gated community is currently valued at $825,000 by Realtor.com.
Cuellar, who represents much of Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, has been an outspoken critic of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their handling of a surge in illegal border crossings.