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Para Notícias en Español

Press Release


U.S. CONGRESSMAN HENRY CUELLAR CHARGED WITH BRIBERY AND ACTING AS A FOREIGN
AGENT

Friday, May 3, 2024
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For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
Congressman Allegedly Accepted Approximately $600,000 from Azerbaijan’s
State-Owned Oil Company and a Mexican Bank in Exchange for Official Acts as a
Member of Congress

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 of Laredo, Texas, with participating in two schemes involving 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.

According to court documents, beginning in at least December 2014 and continuing
through at least November 2021, Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar allegedly
accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an oil and
gas company wholly owned and controlled by the Government of Azerbaijan, and a
bank headquartered in Mexico City. The bribe payments were allegedly laundered,
pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and
middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to
no legitimate work under the contracts. In exchange for the bribes paid by the
Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his
office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan. 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. 

Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar are each charged with the following
offenses, and if convicted, face maximum penalties as indicated: two counts of
conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official
act as an agent of a foreign principal required to register under the Foreign
Agents Registration Act (FARA), five years imprisonment on each count; two
counts of bribery of a federal official, 15 years imprisonment on each count;
two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, 20 years
imprisonment on each count; two counts of violating the ban on public officials
acting as agents of a foreign principal required to register under FARA, two
years imprisonment on each count; one count of conspiracy to commit money
laundering, 20 years imprisonment; and five counts of money laundering, 20 years
imprisonment on each count.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the
Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G.
Olsen, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Assistant
Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and
Deputy Assistant Inspector General Jason Loeffler and Special Agent in Charge
Chris Hileman of the Department of State Office of Inspector General (DOS-OIG)
made the announcement.

The FBI and DOS-OIG investigated the case.

Acting Deputy Chief Marco A. Palmieri, Acting Deputy Chief Rosaleen O’Gara, and
Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section
and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s
Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent
until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Updated May 8, 2024

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Topic
Public Corruption
Components
Criminal Division
Criminal - Public Integrity Section
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Criminal Investigative Division (FBI)
National Security Division (NSD)
Press Release Number: 24-571



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