Last year, two Democratic political consultants admitted guilt to charges of conspiring with U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar to launder over $200,000 in bribes sourced from a Mexican bank.
Cuellar, a Democrat serving South Texas, along with his spouse, Imelda, faced indictment for allegedly accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan and Banco Azteca, a commercial bank located in Mexico. The Laredo native is confronted with charges of bribery, money laundering, and acting on behalf of a foreign government.
The indictment against Cuellar alleges that he accepted funds from the bank to sway the Treasury Department and undermine anti-money laundering regulations that would favor the Mexican bank. It is claimed that Cuellar enlisted his former campaign manager, Colin Strother, and consultant, Florencio “Lencho” Rendon, to facilitate the payments.
Moreover, there are allegations suggesting that the Cuellars were concurrently involved in a scheme with the state-owned oil and gas enterprise from Azerbaijan. Payments were reportedly laundered through fictitious consulting contracts via shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. In exchange for these payments, Representative Cuellar allegedly promoted U.S. policies that were advantageous to the foreign country.
The American Tribune reported in December that Cuellar successfully secured re-election in the 28th District of Texas, which borders Mexico, despite his ongoing legal challenges related to the corruption charges. Cuellar has consistently denied any misconduct in light of the indictment against him. Recent updates suggest that Cuellar’s trial has been postponed to commence in September.
A press release issued by the Department of Justice in May indicated, “An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas, charging U.S. Congressman Enrique Roberto ‘Henry’ Cuellar, 68, and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, both residents of Laredo, Texas, with involvement in two schemes related to bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering. Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar made their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston.”
The DOJ statement further elaborated, “According to court documents, starting in at least December 2014 and continuing through at least November 2021, Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar are alleged to have accepted around $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an oil and gas company that is entirely owned and controlled by the Government of Azerbaijan, and a bank based in Mexico City. The bribe payments were purportedly laundered through a series of front companies and intermediaries into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who reportedly performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts.”
“In return for the bribes received from the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar is alleged to have agreed to utilize his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan. In exchange for the bribes from the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar is alleged to have agreed to influence legislative activities and to advise and exert pressure on high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures advantageous to the bank,” the DOJ stated.
In May of last year, Cuellar issued a statement asserting his innocence regarding the indictment. The representative emphasized that his behavior was “in line with the actions of numerous colleagues and in service to the American populace.” He further stated, “I wish to clarify that both my wife and I are innocent of these accusations. Prior to taking any steps, I proactively sought legal counsel from the House Ethics Committee, which provided me with multiple written opinions, in addition to another opinion from a national law firm.”
Observe as Kash Patel confronts Adam Schiff below:
