Washington — Federal prosecutors are expected to announce an indictment against Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas on Friday, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News.
Details of the indictment, including how many charges Cueller faces and the nature of the allegations, were not immediately available. NBC News the anticipated indictment.
Cuellar indicated in a statement that he and his wife were charged, and he said they are innocent of the accusations. The congressman said he will continue to seek reelection to the House in November.
"I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas," he said.
The congressman made a statement indicating that he consulted with the House Ethics Committee before taking any action. However, it was not specified in the statement what actions he was referring to. He mentioned that the committee provided a written opinion, along with a second one from a national law firm. Cuellar and his wife also requested a meeting with prosecutors in Washington, D.C., to present the facts, but they declined to discuss the case with them.
In January 2022, the FBI conducted a "court-authorized" search of the congressman's home in Laredo and campaign office. Cuellar's lawyer informed CBS News at the time that the congressman was not the target of a federal investigation. A source familiar with the probe mentioned that the activity at Cuellar's house was linked to an investigation concerning Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen.
During that period, the congressman's office stated that he was fully cooperating with the investigation, and Cuellar denied any wrongdoing. It remains unclear whether the indictment resulted from the search.
Cuellar, who has been serving in the House since 2005 and represents the 28th Congressional District, which extends from San Antonio to the U.S.-Mexico border, faced a challenging primary from immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros, his former intern, during the 2022 election cycle. He narrowly defeated her in a runoff election.
As a Catholic, Cuellar is the sole remaining self-identified "pro-life" Democrat in the House, amid ongoing debates over abortion rights within the Democratic Party.
In a shocking turn of events, Cuellar made headlines in October 2023 after revealing that he had been a victim of a carjacking. The incident took place as he was returning to his residence in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Cuellar recounted being confronted by three armed assailants during the harrowing ordeal.
