Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2023.
Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
The Justice Department is expected to announce the indictment of longtime Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were raided in January 2022 as part of a federal investigation into Azerbaijan and a group of U.S. businessmen who have ties to the country, law enforcement said at the time. His office had pledged to cooperate with the investigation. In April, Cuellar’s lawyer, Joshua Berman, told some news outlets that federal authorities informed him he was not the target of the investigation.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the indictment was related to the 2022 raid. The Justice Department declined to comment. NBC News has reached out to Cuellar and a lawyer representing him for comment.
Cuellar is a one-time co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.
A year after the raid — which had not previously yielded arrests or charges — Cuellar told the Texas Tribune: “There has been no wrongdoing on my part. … My focus remains the same from my very first day in office: delivering results for Texans across my district.”
Despite the raid, Cuellar narrowly defeated a progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, in his 2022 primary and went on to win re-election to his seat that November. He didn’t face a primary challenger this year and will be on the ballot this November seeking his 11th term in Congress.
Two years ago, Cuellar easily defeated Republican nominee Cassy Garcia 57% to 43%. His district became bluer when he picked up parts of San Antonio following redistricting. But the indictment will make Cuellar more vulnerable than he has been in the past. Two Republicans will face each other in a runoff election in late May for a chance to take on Cuellar in the fall.
Cuellar, 66, a lawyer, is a former customs broker and Texas secretary of state. A member of the centrist Blue Dogs and New Democrat Coalition, Cuellar was first elected to the House in 2004.
He’s the only Democrat left in Congress who opposes abortion rights — a position that has infuriated many in his party.
