Source: FBI activity at Rep. Cuellar's Laredo home connected to Azerbaijan investigation
Agents were seen at Cuellar's home earlier this week, but they did not confirm the reason for their presence there.
Author: David Lynch (KENS 5)
Published: 8:49 PM CST January 19, 2022
Updated: 10:59 PM CST January 21, 2022
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SAN ANTONIO — FBI agents were inside U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar's Laredo home Wednesday afternoon, and CBS News reports that the activity was related to an ongoing investigation.
The FBI confirmed to KENS 5 that they were in the neighborhood "conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity" near Windridge and Estate drives in Laredo, but couldn't comment further.
When asked for a statement, Cuellar's office told KENS 5 the Democratic legislator "will fully cooperate in any investigation."
"He is committed to ensuring that justice and the law are upheld," the statement continues.
A source familiar with the investigation told CBS News that the activity at Cuellar's home is part of an investigation relating to Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen.
A federal grand jury in Washington is investigating the case, CBS News has confirmed. ABC News first reported the scope of the investigation and the grand jury.
Cuellar is presumably not in Washington, D.C. right now, since he has been voting by proxy in the House, and the proxy letter he has filed with the clerk of the House of Representatives remains active, CBS reported.
Cuellar has represented the Rio Grande Valley's district since 2005. He's a moderate Democrat who is facing a primary challenge from his former intern, immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros; she lost by about four points when she challenged him in 2020. Cuellar won reelection that year by 18 points, but President Joe Biden only won by 5 points, underscoring Democrats' problems along the border in Texas, the Texas Tribune noted.
In a statement on Thursday, Cisneros's campaign said they are "aware of the news regarding Congressman Cuellar and the active FBI investigation. We are closely watching as this develops. In the meantime, we are focused on our campaign to deliver change to South Texas families and will not be making any additional comments at this time."
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/fbi-rep-henry-cuellar-laredo-home-law-enforcement-activity/273-4b54a1b2-c5c7-49db-bae3-780b35777e88