A south Texas Democratic member of Congress is facing federal charges of accepting bribes.
Rep. Henry Cuellar is accused of accepting $238,000 in cash disguised as consulting fees from a bank controlled by a Mexican billionaire, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Cuellar is also accused of accepting $360,000 from an Azerbaijani oil company in return for delivering political favors for the nation's regime.
BREAKING: Democrat Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife have been charged by the DOJ for allegedly taking $600,000 in bribes from an oil & gas company owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan.
That's now two Democrats in Congress indicted for taking foreign bribes. pic.twitter.com/YgYHnE4IZZ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 3, 2024
Banco Azteca was identified as the Mexican bank involved in Cuellar's alleged bribery in charging documents unsealed by prosecutors.
Ricardo Salinas Pliego, one of the richest men in Mexico, founded the bank.
Neither the billionaire nor his bank are facing any charges in connection to Cuellar's alleged bribery.
The institution has faced struggles in efforts to form partnerships with American banks -- with some pointing to Banco Azteca's allegedly lax anti-money laundering practices, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Cuellar is accused of pressuring federal officials into taking actions favorable to the bank's interests in charging documents released by the Department of Justice. "In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank," the document said.
The charges also alleged that Cuellar similarly inserted language favorable to Azerbaijan's geopolitical interests into legislation, as well as delivered a speech on the House floor in favor of Azerbaijan, according to the Associated Press.
Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, face a litany of criminal charges that could land the couple in federal prison for decades.
The congressman maintains his innocence.
Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife were indicted on more than a dozen federal charges alleging they accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an oil company owned by the government of Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank, the Justice Department said Friday. pic.twitter.com/unqz0Q2KaR
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 3, 2024
Former President Donald Trump defended Cuellar in a Truth Social message, pointing to his criticism of President Joe Biden's open door migration policies.
Disgraced Rep. Henry Cuellar, who has been indicted for taking bribes from Azerbaijan, has found a surprising new ally: Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/Syw4DiwViy
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 6, 2024
Cuellar and his wife were released from custody on Friday after posting a $100,000 bond each, according to the Wall Street Journal.
